Chami Murmu, an Indian environmental activist, is best known for her extraordinary efforts in planting trees across India. Starting her mission in 1996, Murmu has planted over 2.5 million trees around her village Bagraisai, Rajnagar block, Seraikela Kharsawan district, Jharkhand, India to combat deforestation, particularly caused by illegal logging by the “mafia” and the threats posed by Naxalites.
Her grassroots movement, which continues to thrive despite adversity, focuses not only on reforesting but also on community mobilisation. Her work is deeply personal; she started planting saplings in her village in the hope of restoring the lost greenery and providing a sustainable future for the community. As a result, she formed the Sahayogi Mahila Bagraisai in 2020, which now has 3,000 members and is dedicated to environmental protection and empowerment of women.
Murmu will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the fifth edition of Dharitri Youth Conclave November 24. This prestigious award honours her decades of tireless work in environmental conservation and significant contributions to empowering communities, particularly women, in the fight against deforestation.