Seed Balls Key to Boosting Green Cover: Forest Chief

Chief Conservator of Forests I.K.V. Raju has called for large-scale use of seed balls to improve green cover and address rising climate concerns. At a training programme held on Tuesday at Kambalakonda under the Green Climate Team NGO, participants were trained in seed ball preparation and dispersal.

Mr. Raju urged collective participation in preparing seed balls and said rising temperatures and climate change are causing widespread hardship. He stressed the need for ecological restoration.

He suggested dispersing seed balls during the monsoon across hills, plains, and coastal areas to promote natural vegetation. He also appealed to people to collect seeds from consumed fruits and submit them to the Forest Department, highlighting the importance of native seeds.

Green Climate Team NGO founder secretary, J.V. Ratnam explained that seed balls are made using 70% fresh cow dung and 30% clay-rich sand mixed into a dough-like form, with three seeds placed inside each ball. The balls should be dried for three days and stored in a well-ventilated place.

DFOs, including Somasundaram, Uma Maheswari, Prasuna, Narasimha Rao, Samuel, Sunil Kumar, and Sub-DFO Srivani, along with over 400 officials and staff from Uttarandhra, participated.