Adopting a new idea and borrowing from nature to increase green cover four environmental organisations and AP Pollution Control Board have come together to take up plantation by seed balls.
Seeds will be rolled in balls of clay and dung and spread on hills, somewhat akin to aerial seeding, and as it rains they germinate, grow in a natural manner strengthening the hill slopes, supporting each other and have a potential to arrest erosion too, according to organisers.
Bapuji Rural Enlightenment and Development Society, Green Soldiers, Green Environment Service Society and Paryavarana Margadarsi Vaisakhi are endeavouring to improve green cover and arrest soil erosion.
“The plan is to grow trees that give more shade, more oxygen and reduce pollution and feed birds and help their nesting,” says J. Rajeswari of PMV.
Around 300 students collected 40 varieties of seeds during summer from the university and railway grounds and Kambalakonda, among others and they will be used in making the balls.
To begin with, 100 NSS volunteers of A S Raja College for Women took up making of 2000 balls on Tuesday.
“A 15-member team of the four organisations has been working on spreading and implementing the idea with the target of one lakh seed balls,” says Sireesha of GESS.
Aditya Madhav working in the team identified 74 hill-slopes from Anakapalle to Bhimunipatnam to drop the seed-balls. The plantation with the balls will be initiated on June 17, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
