HYDERABAD: Around 51,000 seed balls were dispersed by the devotees of Mata Amritanandamayi Math and the NGO Ayudh, on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Sunday. The seed balls, composed of a mixture of fertile soil, compost and plant seeds, were made over a span of 10 days.
Over 200 of the devotees and Ayudh members fanned out into the Chittapur reserve forest area near Ibrahimpatnam and dispersed them. People of all ages, from students to retired persons, took part in the afforestation drive.
As a member organisation of the United Nation’s Trillion Tree campaign, the Math has been organising such afforestation drives globally. It has also been recognised as an NGO with special consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Council.
Raghu Nath, coordinator and Math in-charge in the Telugu states, said: “With the monsoon setting in, these planted seed balls can sprout into saplings, resulting in increased green cover in the future.”