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When the River Rises, We Plant: Kapas Paduka in Molai & Majuli with India’s Forest Man Padma Shri Jadav Peyang.
5–7 August 2026 | Majuli, Assam, India
With Padma Shri Jadav “Molai” Payeng & Munmuni Payeng
Leaving Green Imprints on Time.
There are moments when planting a tree is not simply about putting a sapling into the soil.
It becomes a statement.
A promise.
A decision to believe in tomorrow even when today is difficult.
From 5 to 7 August 2026, Kapas Paduka and its team travelled to Majuli, Assam, to take part in tree plantation in the presence of Padma Shri Jadav “Molai” Payeng, India’s Forest Man, and his daughter Munmuni Payeng.
We did not arrive at an easy time.
Assam was experiencing severe flooding, and the Brahmaputra and its surrounding floodplains were once again reminding us of the immense power of nature. Majuli itself lives with the reality of annual flooding, changing river courses and erosion.
And yet, we planted.
We Crossed the River to Plant Hope
To reach the plantation site, our Kapas Paduka team crossed approximately 500 metres of the Brahmaputra during flood conditions.
It was not simply a journey from one bank to another.
For us, it represented a journey from concern to action. The river was high. The conditions were challenging. But the purpose was clear. We were going to plant trees in the very landscape where one of India’s greatest environmental stories began.
Standing there with Jadav Payeng made the moment even more powerful.
For decades, he has demonstrated what can happen when one person refuses to give up on nature. What began with planting trees on a barren sandbar eventually became the remarkable Molai Forest, a thriving ecosystem associated with his lifelong commitment to ecological restoration.
For Kapas Paduka, being able to plant alongside him was not merely an honour.
It was a lesson.
From One Generation to the Next
One of the most meaningful parts of this journey was having Munmuni Payeng known as forest queen of India, Jadav Payeng’s daughter, alongside us.
Because environmental responsibility cannot belong to only one generation.
It must be passed forward. Jadav Payeng’s story began decades ago. Today, his daughter is also part of the continuing journey. And on these days in Majuli, Kapas Paduka became part of that story too. It reminded us that a forest is never created in a single day. A tree planted today may take years before it becomes shade. Years before it becomes habitat. Years before its roots strengthen the soil. Years before someone who planted it is no longer there to see what it becomes.
That is precisely why we plant.
Planting During a Flood Is a Different Kind of Commitment
It would have been easy to say:
“The situation is difficult. Let us wait.”
But nature does not always give us perfect conditions.
The recent floods in Assam have shown how vulnerable communities and landscapes can become when extreme water, erosion and changing environmental conditions come together. Reports in late July 2026 described widespread flooding across Upper Assam, with hundreds of thousands of people affected.
Our response was not to pretend that tree plantation alone can stop floods.
It cannot.
Floods are complex natural and climatic events.
But healthy forests, vegetation and restored ecosystems can play an important role in supporting soil stability, biodiversity and ecological resilience.
So we chose to contribute where we could.
EIGHT tree at a time.
More Than Sneakers
Kapas Paduka was born from a simple belief:
What we make should leave a better footprint on the planet.
Our journey started with sustainable footwear. But sustainability cannot end with the product. It has to continue beyond the shoe. It has to reach the soil. It has to reach communities. It has to reach forests. And ultimately, it has to reach the future. That is why our “Leaving Green Imprints on Time” philosophy is not just a line associated with our brand. It is becoming an action. Our sneakers may walk on the Earth.
But we want our work to give something back to it.
leaving green imprints on time🌿 Our Kapas Paduka biodegradable Chelsea boots are crafted from real cork, celebrating both style and our planet. This isn’t just a boot; it’s a testament to how fashion can thrive in harmony with the environment. Every pair supports natural resource conservation and ethical practices.
Planting in the Land of the Forest Man
There was something deeply symbolic about planting trees in the presence of Jadav Payeng.
This is a man who spent decades doing something that initially seemed almost impossible—transforming degraded land through persistent planting and care. His work eventually created a forest ecosystem that became a global example of grassroots environmental restoration.
Today, the lesson is bigger than one forest.
It is about consistency. It is about patience. It is about understanding that environmental change does not happen overnight. A campaign may last a day. A plantation event may last a few hours. But a forest takes generations.
And that is the commitment we want to embrace.
More Than Sneakers
Kapas Paduka was born from a simple belief:
What we make should leave a better footprint on the planet.
Our journey started with sustainable footwear. But sustainability cannot end with the product. It has to continue beyond the shoe. It has to reach the soil. It has to reach communities. It has to reach forests. And ultimately, it has to reach the future.
That is why our “Leaving Green Imprints on Time” philosophy is not just a line associated with our brand. It is becoming an action. Our sneakers may walk on the Earth.
But we want our work to give something back to it.
Planting in the Land of the Forest Man
There was something deeply symbolic about planting trees in the presence of Jadav Payeng.
This is a man who spent decades doing something that initially seemed almost impossible—transforming degraded land through persistent planting and care. His work eventually created a forest ecosystem that became a global example of grassroots environmental restoration.
Today, the lesson is bigger than one forest. It is about consistency. It is about patience. It is about understanding that environmental change does not happen overnight. A campaign may last a day. A plantation event may last a few hours. But a forest takes generations.
And that is the commitment we want to embrace.
From Agra to Assam
Kapas Paduka began its journey in Agra.
This time, our journey took us all the way to the floodplains of the Brahmaputra in Assam.
Different landscapes.
Different cultures.
Different challenges.
But one common responsibility:
Earth.
Our founder, Chetan Verma, and the Kapas Paduka team were honoured to stand alongside Padma Shri Jadav Payeng and Munmuni Payeng for this plantation initiative.
The experience reminded us that sustainability has no state boundary.
It has no language barrier.
It has no distance.
A seed planted in Assam can become a message heard across India.
The Meaning of 5–7 August 2026
For us, 5, 6 and 7 August 2026 will not simply remain dates on a calendar.
They will remain a memory of muddy ground, flowing water, difficult crossings, green saplings and extraordinary people.
A memory of planting when conditions were not perfect.
A memory of standing in a place shaped by the Brahmaputra.
A memory of learning from the Forest Man of India.
A memory of seeing the next generation standing beside him.
And a memory of our own team choosing action over hesitation.
We Don’t Know Who Will Sit Under These Trees
Perhaps this is the most beautiful part of planting.
We do not plant a tree because we know exactly who will benefit from it.
We plant because someone will.
A child may one day stand beneath its shade.
A bird may build its nest there.
An animal may find shelter there.
The soil may hold because its roots are there.
A future generation may breathe cleaner air because we decided to act today.
We may never meet those people.
We may never see that forest fully grown.
And that is okay.
Because environmental responsibility is not about receiving the reward immediately.
It is about leaving something behind.
Something living.
Something growing.
Something that says:
We were here.
We cared.
And we planted.
Our Green Imprint Continues
Kapas Paduka’s journey in Majuli is not the end of a plantation campaign.
It is the beginning of a deeper responsibility.
We want to continue encouraging people to move beyond talking about sustainability and start participating in it.
Plant. Protect. Restore. Walk responsibly. Consume consciously. And leave the Earth with a better chance than the one we inherited. Because sustainability is not a trend.
It is a responsibility. And forests are not created by hashtags.
They are created by hands.
On 5–7 August 2026, those hands belonged to many people—Kapas Paduka, the Payeng family, our team members and everyone who believes that the future deserves more trees.
We are grateful to Padma Shri Jadav “Molai” Payeng, the Forest Man of India, and Munmuni Payeng for being part of this journey.
From Agra to Majuli.
From footwear to forests.
From an idea to action.
Kapas Paduka continues to leave green imprints on time.
Plant today.
Protect tomorrow.
Let the forest remember us.
KAPAS PADUKA
Leaving Green Imprints on Time.
