After two years, a green revolution taking place at Idayakottai
The Hindu
Transforming barren land into a lush green forest through community involvement and meticulous planning in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu.
For the 3, 654 farmers, who procured free saplings from the multiutility community forest, an ongoing project at Idayakottai, it has been a novel experience.
Once the farmers envisage their interest, the staff from this community get their aadhar details which are fed into the computer and details of the saplings given are loaded. And before the saplings are handed over, the team visits the farm, checks the right spot and also tells the farmer the size of the pit he should dig.
This meticulous planning was new to Ponnusami, a farmer from Reddiyapatti. He was in for more surprise, as after the planting was done, the team was doing a regular follow up. This has encouraged farmers like him to approach the members of the project for more saplings.
This unassertive awareness wave is creating major ripples in Oddanchatram constituency in Dindigul district.
The initiative by R. Sakkarapani, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, has changed the once barren landscape into a verdant green forest. The 117 acres of land belonging to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department at Idayakottai in Dindigul district, now has 6.40 lakh trees growing in a lush manner changing even the climatic condition of the area.
Manoj Kumar, a supervisor at the project site, says that residents in the vicinity say that the temperature is tad lower than the other areas and rainfall in the region has also increased exponentially especially during monsoon.
It has been two years since the saplings were planted on December 23, 2022 by using Miyawaki method. The saplings were planted when they were two feet in height and now they have crossed 10 feet. In another two years, Manoj says that it would become a self-sustaining ecosystem. Right now about 50 workers are involved in providing drip irrigation, pruning and application of fertilizers. After another two years, this maintenance would not be needed, he adds.
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