The Alumni Association of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning has completed planting more than a lakh of saplings on the hillocks and plain lands in and around Puttaparthi.
To take this initiative forward, started eight years back, the association members will plant 5,000 more saplings this year in the next few days as a precursor to the 95th birth anniversary of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. A water project for the continued supply of water to the plants near the Hanuman Statue was inaugurated on Sunday by Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust Managing Trustee R.J. Rathnakar. Mr. Rathnakar also planted a sapling of Vatavriksha that was originally planted by Sri Sathya Sai Baba in 1959.
The tree plantation project started off in 2002 with just two saplings for which water had to be carried on motorbikes every day. In view of the water scarcity, arrangements were made to pump up water onto the top of the hill by recycling water from all the canteens in the ashram. In the later stages, few more tanks were built at strategic locations on the hilltop in such a way that less electricity was consumed and water erosion points were identified to dig small pits to store the rainwater. Today, this area houses quite a lot of beautiful peacocks, pigeons, parrots, and diverse species of birds.
Currently, 2,000 meters of pipeline exist to make water supply to plants in 150 acres energy-efficient and uses natural gravity.
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