A whopping 11 lakh seeds are set to be sown on the hillocks abutting the Rayalacheruvu tank, 20 km south of Tirupati, in a bid to turn the landscape greener.
Pratap Swami of Ekaveera Seva Foundation, in association with Bhakta Malla Reddy Global Foundation (BMRGF), has taken the initiative to make green the hillock, which is referred to as ‘Yogula Parvatham’, going by the local folklore that the hillock was home to many saints and sages in the past.
Eleven lakh seeds mixed in clay are moulded in the shape of balls, to be air-dropped over the hillocks. “The seeds have been procured from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. We have roped in 3,000 volunteers, mostly local villagers, to prepare the clay balls, which will be dropped through drones on this auspicious Saturday,” says Pratap Swami.
31 varieties
As the shrub jungle is prone to frequent forest fires, killing its inhabitants like small mammals, reptiles and insects, the Ekaveera Seva Foundation came up with an idea to plant 31 different varieties of massive trees with a wider canopy such as neem, pongamia, custard apple, fig, teak, tamarind, gooseberry, palash, wood apple (Maredu), banyan, sandalwood, red sanders, jammi, jamun, plum and so on. “This will also ensure a permanent habitat and make the region rich with biodiversity, attracting visiting animals and birds”, adds BMRGF representative Sumathi Reddy.
The hillock is expected to be thronged by around 10,000 visitors on the day, when Tirupati Superintendent of Police P. Parameswara Reddy formally kickstarts the ambitious project on the Kuppambadur–Appalayagunta road.
