In 2019, a WhatsApp forward drew software engineer Ajit Singh’s attention to the alarming groundwater depletion in Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region. A majority of the population depends on the water resource for their livelihood needs.
Deeply moved, Ajit Singh shifted his focus to environmental action. He pledged to plant trees across multiple districts of Rajasthan, a promise he would keep barefoot, as a reminder of his purpose.
When he began planting saplings, people questioned his efforts. “How do you know they’ll survive?” they asked. Admitting that financing these projects isn’t always easy, Ajit says he often spends all his earnings on them.
Soon, the ‘oxygen parks’ — a cluster of around 5,000 trees — began flourishing across Rajasthan. Barren land began transforming into dense green forests.
Through his ‘Dharti Maa Harit Shringar Yatra’, Ajit kept the movement going across villages. When funds ran low, his wife stepped in to mortgage her jewellery to help buy saplings and irrigation equipment.
Today, over 1 lakh trees stand tall across Rajasthan. Water tables have risen, birds have returned, and once-barren land now breathes again.
Tree planting taught Ajit patience. Forests don’t grow overnight. Care, consistency, and faith matter more than instant results.
Ajit’s work stands in the form of 10 oxygen parks that he has created across Rajasthan — across Sikar’s Chhinchhas village (5), Tonk’s Bagri village, Bikaner’s Badrasar village and Sharah Nathaniya villages, Bhilwara’s Khohra Kalan village, and Jaipur’s Sanjariya village.
They are now thriving ecosystems with ponds and medicinal plants, showing how grassroots action can revive fragile regions.
Ajit’s journey proves that one determined individual can spark a lasting green movement.