A teacher’s passion for raising a green cover

P. Vadivelan has made 25,000 seed balls, plans another 75,000

In an effort to raise a green cover in and around Punjai Puliyampatti in Sathyamangalam Taluk, a government school teacher and his students have dispersed 25,000 seed balls in hill areas and along water bodies, and is in the process of preparing another 75,000 over the next six months.

P. Vadivelan of M. Coundampalayam, a teacher at the Neelipalayam Panchayat Union Elementary School at Punjai Puliyampatti, encourages students to plant trees and maintain them. Along with his students, he had planted 500 saplings on the school premises and at Neelipalayam and Coundampalayam during weekends. While the school remains closed due to the COVID-19 lockdown, he prepared 25,000 seed balls with the help of the students and dispersed most of these at Devagiri Hills, Oodimalai and along water bodies. Some of the seed balls were given to people at weddings, to raise trees.

Mr. Vadivelan said that since childhood, he was keen on improving the greenery in the drought-prone Punjai Puliyampatti and surrounding areas. “I am from an agricultural family. I started making seed balls and have been dispersing these for many years”, he said. Clay soil, cow dung, used tea and coffee powder and vegetables are wrapped with a seed inside and dried for two or three days. Later, the seed ball is thrown near hills, lakes, ponds and other water bodies in the area, he said. Most of them sprout and become trees over the years, even without maintenance, he said. “These trees not only give shade, but fruits also”, he said, adding that the seeds were that of native species in the State.

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