Forest dept turns leaf from old books to protect trees

Since this method is more suitable for the ravines of the Bundelkhand region and the Forest Research Institute has already cited scientific reasons,the department is using it particularly for the NREGS plantations to save the saplings.

According to the Divisional Forest Officer of Banda,Nurul Huda,the traditional method has always proved to be more effective for the plants than the usual sapling method.

“We have been using this method for our inter-department plantations. But this year,when we got a target for the NREGS and we decided to apply this method in this region too,” said Huda.

The trench and chek dam method involves digging of trenches of 10 X 2 X 1.5 feet. The earth dug from this trench is used to make a flower bed for plants on which seeds are sown and a small chek dam is created outlining the trench to save the water from flowing out. With the little rainfall the area receives,the trench is filled up,which enables the soil to preserve moisture in that area. “The moisture level is maintained and thus it helps the seeds to breed even in low rainfall conditions,” said Huda. “In one hectare we make 200 trenches. We have always seen that this method has better scope in Bundelkhand than plantation of saplings,” he added.

The villagers involved in the plantation this year,under the NREGS,have approved this method. According to the villagers in Tenduari and Bahadurpur Kalinjar ranges of Banda district,the Forest department is using a traditional method with its own additions. “With this traditional method,the Forest department is now being able to save the plantation. Although the mortality of the saplings is still high,the seeds sown through this method have a better life,” said Shivkumar,a villager who has worked at the 17-acre plantation site at Bahadurpur Kalinjar.

Chief Conservator of Forests of Jhansi Division Uma Shankar Singh said the method is being used across plantation sites in Bundelkhand. “This method has been successful in Uttarakhand. Researches also suggest that this trench method is more useful,” said Singh.