1.5 lakh seed balls to be dropped in city

Vijayawada: Vijayawada City Police Commissioner Goutam Sawang inspected the seed balls preparing unit at CBR International School at Ketanakonda Ibrahimpatnam. The seed ball dropping programme was held as part of Vanam Manam and Haritha Andhra Pradesh to make the city blue and green. In this regard, the Vijayawada police department took initiative in seed ball preparation and dropping and a press meet was held at the school premises on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, Sawang said the police department started the preparation of seed balls work at CBR school premises. Around 1.5 lakh seed balls of various trees had been prepared and were ready for dropping at important selected locations like mountains, planes and forest areas around the city.

The Commissioner said the seed balls dropping programme will be given to police, volunteers, hawkers, school children and at few places through helicopter. He said awareness on trees and plantation should be held to the school children and seed balls would be given to students in the area for planting.

Botanist Subashchandra Bose explained the method of preparing seed balls, which were brought from Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The mixture was made of clay with Jeevamruth (cow dung, cow urine), along with powder made of horse gram and black gram, and seed balls are made.

Once the seed balls are dropped and exposed to moisture the germination starts in a week. He said the plants would grow into big trees in about five years which would reduce the heat and decrease air pollution.