Odisha’s ‘Greenman’ Sudhir Rout Completes Afforestation In 7 More Bald Hills In Ganjam

Berhampur: The ‘Greenman of Odisha’ Sudhir Raut and his team of the Aryabhatta E & N Foundation Berhampur ended the two-months-old annual process for a green cover on 7 bald hills in Ganjam during the rainy season this year on August 15.

The foundation which already nourished 13 bald hills earlier, had taken up 7 bald hills this year. The process of sowing seeds through seed balls dispersed in inaccessible areas of the hills and seeds sown on hoeing started on June 16 and ended on August 15.

“We began seed ball preparation from May 1 by our seed ball machine. Some environment activists gifted us a seedball machine in 2019”, Sudhir said. Some potting soil, clay mixed with manures and seeds is put into the machine. The soil rolls into balls picking up a few seeds. The balls are dried. Each ball contains 4 to 5 seeds on an average. They are thrown from vintage positions on a hill. The seeds can remain safe inside the ball for two to three months. The seed ball protects the seeds from the small hungry animals and birds. Rain breaks down the clay and the humus provides necessary nutrients for the young seedlings. In the absence of the human and cattle movements the efficiency is up to 60 percent. Even in their presence 10 percent survive. The saplings grown are stronger than those grown in nurseries and can grow in adverse conditions, Sudhir said. Seeds balls are an ancient technique for propagating plants from seeds without opening up soil with cultivation tools such as a plow.

The 13 bald hills in Ganjam taken up earlier during 2017 to 2022 include Balakumari, Podapadar, Bhaludhimbirai, Mahurikalua, Bhuasuni, Changudidei, Pakidi, Karakhola near Hinjilicut, Tara Tarini, Sahaspur, Bhaliagada Hill near Adapada. Some of the hills like Ramachandra palli,Bhuasuni and Pakidi have shown very good results; Ramchandrapalli being the best with around 50k trees. Balakumari where mostly bamboo was used have also shown very good results. The reforestation of these 13 bald hills though completed during 2019, we intensively focussed on these hills for another three years, said Sudhir.

The 7 bald hills in Ganjam taken up this year include Rishidilli, Khola and Ramaguda Hills in Chikiti block and Dankari , Sana Buruda, Bada Buruda and Chadheigarda Hills under Sanakhemundi, Kukudakhandi and Digapahandi block.

We have scattered more than 2 lakh seed balls and sowed 15 lakhs seeds this year. We sowed 13 lakhs seeds on 13 bald hills taken up earlier and 2 lakh seeds on the new 7 bald hills this year. Out of 60 days, we ventured intensively to reforest the bald and semi-bald hills for 42 consecutive days and another 10 days at some interval.

Interestingly, The ‘Greenman of Odisha’ Sudhir Raut started a green cover of bald hills from the Rangamatia hill at Ramchandrapalli in Chikiti block during 2017 which was bald and barren and was rejected by the Forest Department as degraded soil. Now it is almost covered with greenery and has become a safe abode for some wild animals.

Replying to a question about whether the rainfall is sufficient this year for the programme of reforestation of bald hills, Sudhir said it is adequate. Sudhir and his green team who also supervise the aftermath of scattering seed balls and sowing seeds, said though 80 per cent seeds germinate, only 30 to 40 percent survive to grow as a big tree.