Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 84/25

JHADC SIGNS 40-YEAR MOU WITH EARTH-TREE TO RESTORE FORESTS AND DEGRADED LANDS

The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council JHADC, through its Forest Department, signed a 40-year Memorandum of Understanding MoU with Earth-Tree Company to restore degraded and deforested lands within its jurisdiction.

The MoU was signed on August 5 during a brief ceremony held at the Conference Hall of the JHADC office. Present at the event were HH Mohrmen, Consultant with Earth-Tree, FW Blah, Chief Forest Officer, JHADC, Sunny Donkupar Mawiong, Director of Earth-Tree, Dr S N Goswami, Chief Operating Officer of Earth-Tree, along with other representatives and officials.

The Project focuses on ecological restoration though scientific tree planting, agroforestry and sustainable land use models. It aims to regenerate barren areas and support biodiversity.

Sunny Donkupar Mawiong emphasised that the Earth Tree initiative will help revive barren and abandoned landscapes, potentially transforming them into ecological and economically productive areas.

Chief Forest Officer FW Blah highlighted that the project will use agroforestry models integrating combining timber and fruit-bearing trees that will benefit the Council in the long run. He added that Earth-Tree will also assist in developing tourism infrastructure in areas with ecotourism potential.

Blah further stated that if the forest regeneration is successful, the Council could start earning carbon credits within five years, which could be traded with industries seeking to offset their emissions, creating a new revenue for the JHADC.

JHADC expects to start earning carbon credits within five years, starting 15000 per hectare and may rise over the 40-year project cycle.