Aerial seeding to be done again despite flop in Visakhapatnam
According to the forest department survey, only 4-5 per cent of the seeds sprayed have survived.
Visakhapatnam: The much-touted aerial seeding method carried out by the forest department in and around Vizag to ensure rapid reforestation methods and treat large areas in minimum time, has turned out to be a flop show.
According to the forest department survey, only 4-5 per cent of the seeds sprayed have survived. About 1980 hectares of area were treated with a quantity of 19.8 tonnes of various seeds last monsoon.
Even as lakhs of money spent on the aerial seeding has gone waste, the government is gearing up for this method once again though the quantity of seeds to be used has been cut down to 10 per cent. Hiring of helicopter for an hour could cost the government around 1 lakh, according to sources.
The department was planning to treat inaccessible areas with about 132 tonnes this monsoon through aerial seeding in the Vizag circle including Vizianagaram and Srikakulam. However, the department has now decided to restrict it to 10 per cent of the quantity earlier decided to due to unavailability of choppers from the Navy and low survival rate. The tender process to hire private helicopter is underway.
The government could avail the choppers of the Indian Navy for aerial seeding last year. As the Indian Navy choppers have been engaged in the MALABAR Exercise, the state government will hire choppers from private players through tender bids.
Asked why the government is resorting to the aerial method despite its poor output and high cost, the Vizag forest circle assistant principal chief conservator (APCCF) of forests N. Prateep Kumar said, “The germination rate that our department personnel found after visiting some of the areas treated with aerial seeding last year found very low. However, we don't have any alternate methods other than aerial one to ensure vegetative cover in inaccessible areas.”
The forest department had directed the divisional forest officers to ensure the seed is palletised for aerial seeding and complete the pelletisation at least one month before the monsoon season.
Due to change in the plan, 90 per cent of the 28 varieties of seed would be used manually like dribbling and scooping now.