Aryabhatta uses 2 lakh seed balls, 6 lakh seeds to reforest hills

Berhampur: Aryabhatta E & N Foundation, Ganjam, which launched its massive plantation drive on June 13, completed its 3 months of endeavour to reforest the hills.

“We have used more than 2 lakh seed balls, 6 lakh seeds to sow and around 500 collected saplings on the 20 hills we had worked on till last year and a hillock that we took up this year in Andhra Pradesh. In addition, we have planted 50 Banyan saplings and 1,000 palm sprouts on the Rushikulya river banks,” said Odisha’s ‘Greenman’ Sudhir Rout.

Interestingly, Aryabhatta E & N Foundation team was led by a differently-abled senior volunteer, Sri Laba Sethi, on the last day. “We witnessed the fruit of our reforestation. On the hill we worked on today, we found streamlets. Reforesting hills relieves the brooks and becks, develops carbon sinks, brings down the temperature of the locality and rejuvenates biodiversity. All these help in combating global warming,” he said.

Aryabhatta Foundation turned bald and barren hills with degraded soil into lush green cover. The volunteers sow seeds through seed balls in inaccessible areas of the hills and through hoeing at foothills. The foundation has already turned 13 bald hills of Ganjam into greenery between 2019 and 2022 and taken up seven more hills in 2023. This year, the foundation has taken up two more bald hills.

Aryabhatta Foundation nourished 13 bald hills in Ganjam, including Balakumari, Podapadar, Bhaludhimbirai, Mahurikalua, Bhuasuni, Changudidei, Pakidi, Karakhola near Hinjilicut, Taratarini, Sahaspur and Bhaliagada Hill near Adapada from 2019 to 2023.

Last year, the foundation took up seven hills, including Russidalli Pahad near Chikiti, four hills between Bhuasuni near Mahuri Kalua and Bankeswari, hill adjacent to Changudidei near Digapahandi, one hill in Pakidi and some hillocks like Baripada, Sahaspur and Ramachandi. It has shown good results. This year, they took up two bald hills near Dumula, said Sudhir.

Sudhir and his team intend to plant more trees if they would be provided lands for village forest. He started the village forest concept in

Pitatali panchayat, Madhabandha and Palasara covering 25 acres in 2016.