TIRUCHI
Institutions in the city celebrated the World Environment Day with renewed vigour this year while observing safe practices in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Botany Department of Bishop Heber College hosted a greening drive early on Friday morning, in which nearly 2000 seed balls were dispersed on the banks of the Uyyakondan canal. With each seed ball containing over 10 seeds of local trees, at least 20,000 trees are expected to grow naturally along the 2-acre stretch of the canal where the drive took place.
The programme was held in collaboration with the Heber Au Sable Institute, NCC Air Wing, Nature Club, Green Stewards, CSI Tiruchi-Thanjavur Diocese and Global Nature Foundation, Thuraiyur.
“In keeping with the rules on public gatherings, a small team of college officials, diocesan clerics and volunteers participated in the greening drive,” V. Anand Gideon, Head, Department of Botany, Bishop Heber College, told The Hindu .
A little later in the day, Kauvery Group of Hospitals launched its 5 acre ‘Kauvery Garden’ afforestation project in Kondayampettai, Thiruvanaikovil, with a tree planting ceremony. Also being created in collaboration with Global Nature Foundation, the project, which has 727 planting pits, hopes to literally grow a forest within a year, using a new cluster-sowing method. Around 3,000 saplings and 1,000 seed balls have been used in the project.
“We have used natural fertilizer made from the biodegradable waste generated by the Kauvery Hospitals, and drip irrigation to ensure that the project will be an environment-friendly addition to our surroundings,” said S. Chandrakumar, Founder and Executive Chairman of Kauvery Group of Hospitals, who led the planting drive with senior physicians. Doctors of the hospital were encouraged to participate in the planting drive with their families through the day, while observing the requisite social distancing norms.
Some 200 student volunteers from three colleges were involved in making the seed balls, said K. Naveen, director of Global Nature Foundation.
“We had made the balls using seeds of 25 local plants like fig, Terminalia arjuna, beechwood, Madhuca longifolia and so on, three months before the lockdown was announced,” said Mr. Naveen. “Since the soil is well-watered here naturally, we expect dense forest growth within the next year. Our main challenge will be to do the weeding for the first three months. Once the tree canopy is formed, Nature will take over,” he said.
The Kauvery Garden is using a planting technique that is different from the Miyawaki method. It allows for graded empty spaces between the trees which helps to maximise plant growth while bringing down expenses. “The project has cost ₹ 3 lakh for 5 acres with this method; it will be much higher if we went for Miyawaki,” said Mr. Naveen.
A webinar titled ‘Environment Stories Sollatuma’ was organised by Students Exnora of Holy Cross College and Youth Exnora International – Tiruchi chapter.
The Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited Township in Tiruchi was among the 12 BHEL townships in the country that have been declared as single-use-plastic free based on third party certification, according to R. Padmanabhan, Executive Director, BHEL, Tiruchi.
“Our commitment towards conservation of biodiversity was evident from translocating more than 200 fully grown trees for a proposed flyover project and replanting them at various places the campus,” Mr. Padmanabhan said while inaugurating World Environment Day celebrations.
More than 20,000 saplings of different species have been planted over the last one year as part of mass tree plantation drive in the BHEL campus. Rainwater harvesting and use of treated waste water for horticulture was a regular feature, Mr. Padmanabhan said.
Mr. Padmanabhan also administered the World Environment Day pledge to general managers, products and functional heads and representatives of participative unions and other employee associations.
Pudukottai
Collector P. Uma Maheswari inaugurated a tree saplings planting drive at the Municipal Office campus in the town, while authorities of the Pudukottai Government Medical College planted about 50 saplings inside the campus. AL.Meenakshisundaram, Dean of the college, said the hospital administration was planning to plant 400 saplings inside the campus this year.
Thanjavur
Planting of saplings and environment awareness campaigns were held in Thanjavur.
Collector M.Govinda Rao led the World Environment Day events held at the Rajah Serfoji Government College where he planted a sapling to mark the inauguration of the day-long events. Oratorical and essay competitions through web were organised by the Clean Thanjavur Movement.
Tiruvarur
ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Needamangalam, organised a webinar in association with the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and the Green Needa Organisation. Sapling plantation on the KVK premises preceded the webinar.
