With an aim to increase depleting green cover on the outskirts of Mumbai, starting with Karjat and Kasara regions, Brick Eagle--an affordable housing group--has decided to distribute one million seed balls during monsoon and later during the year.
"What crisis we are re facing currently in Maharashtra and many other states is a direct result of mass afforestation and its a fact that global warming and climate change will only worsen year on year unless we decide to change the course. Brick Eagle believes that restoration of green cover is one small attempt towards the same and the company is enthused to motivate people to be a part of this movement and build a sustainable environment in and around their habitation", said Rajesh Krishnan, founder of Brick Eagle Social Housing Foundation.
"As part of the initiative, we will be tying up with schools, non-government organizations and local government bodies along with housing societies in and around Karjat and Kasara, for plantation of seed balls, which would be made available for free. The seed balls are being developed keeping in mind the local bio-diversity and prevailing herbs and shrubs of Karjat and Kasara region," he added.
Karjat and Kasara regions are blessed with diverse vegetation and the flora in the area includes plant varieties like Safed Khair, Kachnaar, Safed Aak, Bel, Shisham, Mahua, Kapas, Kokum and so on.
Krishnan added that the seed balls which the foundation plans to distribute would include an assortment of the local native species and the initiative would commence from June 5, 2016 on the occasion of the World Environment Day.
The plantation will be across the barren hills with a vision of green cover of 2,00,000 lakhs trees to create a mini forest in Karjat and Kasara.
"Going by our past experience in Goa and Kolar in Karnataka, we expect 20 per cent success rate which would mean mushrooming of 2,00,000 of these seeds in to large trees and culminate into a mini forest," said Krish Murali Eswar, a senior associate of the Foundation and an ardent environmentalist who has executed similar projects through involvement of private sector and non-government organizations in Goa and Kolar.
