“Farmers from 23 districts have decided to plant high value timber species such as teak, rosewood, sandalwood and mahogany in around 285 acres of land across the state to mark the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who championed the cause of rural development and self-sufficiency,” said a statement.

A minimum of 400 saplings and a maximum of 10,000 are expected to be planted by individual farmers in across 50 locations in Coimbatore, Salem, Trichy, and Thanjavur among other districts.

The plantation drive is organised by volunteers of Cauvery Calling, a movement launched by Sadhguru, Founder-Isha Foundation, last year to revitalize river Cauvery.

This movement has been promoting tree based agriculture in private farmlands in the Cauvery river basin that will significantly enhance farmer income and have an enduring positive impact on soil and water health in the region.

Farmers have already procured 1.16 lakh saplings from Isha Nurseries for the plantation drive.

The Cauvery Calling volunteers will facilitate the activity in addition to visiting individual farms and sharing their expertise on mixed plantations, soil health and water efficiency technologies. In a similar drive last month, farmers planted 1.26 lakh saplings on their farms to commemorate the death anniversary of ‘Maram’ Thangasamy, one of the Tamil Nadu’s respected farmers who dedicated his life to increasing green cover in the state.