About 52,000 saplings have been planted during 2010.Another 10,000 plants are planted during 2011.There are various kinds of initiatives to accelerate the greenery.
Background
Suryapet is an eco- friendly town with a pioneering in the Solid Waste Management. During the 2009, the widening of National Highway no.9 was taking place. Many trees were cut down on that activity. There was need to have plants to have the ecological balance. There was appreciable quantity of greenery was present in Suryapet town.
Activity
Initially The Non-Governmental Organizations are contacted to take up the tree plantation activity. Vruksha Yagnam has come forward to co-operate with the Suryapet municipality. Hence, Sai vanam programme is initiated in January, 2010 in collaboration with NGOs named Vruksha Yagnam and Sai Seva Samithi Trust, Suryapet. It was inaugurated by the Chairperson sri.Meela Satyanarayana.
It is intended to supply the saplings to public at free of cost by collecting donations and exchanging the plants and seeds from philanthropic persons. On every Thursday devotees come to Sai baba temple. On that day various plants are arranged to them. On an average 200 plants per Thursday was distributed. In the April and May, the programme was discontinued, as the plant sustainability is low.
It continued for about 30 weeks. About 5000 plants and more than that seeds have been supplied to the people. It acted as Green Bank. Extra available seeds and seedlings are accepted from the available people and same was exchanged to needy persons. The receipt of material is thoroughly documented. It has given the impetus to greenery in Suryapet town. People have identified that the tree plantation is one of the priority items of Suryapet Municipality.
The utilization of plants was checked over the phone and by random personal visit. One exclusive person was kept to carry out the sai vanam activities to collect the plants, distribution, supervision, etc.from municipality.
In the month of January, 2010, about 40 medicinal plants were brought from KVK,Gaddipally and planted in the compost yard. It stimulated the extensive medicinal plantation in future in Suryapet Municipality. At a later date 200 more medicinal plants were also planted in Compost yard.
In the month of June, Govt. has announced the million plants day to be held on 16-07-2010. It is intended to increase the greenery in the state of A.P. The target of the Suryapet municipality was only 2,500 plants. A meeting was held under the chairmanship of the District Collector, Nalgonda Sri.S.A.M.Rizvi in the third week of June to take up the preparatory activities. Sri.B.Srinivas, Municipal Commissioner, Suryapet has requested to reallocate the target to 15,000 saplings to be planted on the Million Plants Day. District Administration has readily accepted for the same.The help of the sri.Srinivas,Forest Range Officer and Jayanth Babu in providing the plants is amazing.
Subsequently, Municipality has sought the help of the NCC and NSS Unit of SV Degree College for plantation on Million Plants Day. They readily accepted the proposal. Some public representatives, NGOs have expressed their readiness to participate. All the SHGs are mobilized to participate in the programme. Municipality identified the places of plantation well in advance and intimated to the forest department.
Municipality has deployed staff and NSS and NCC units on 15-07-2010. Tractors were sent to different nurseries in the district to collect the saplings. The pits were diged one day before to facilitate the process. The plants are stocked in the places to be planted and streets.
The plantation program was inaugurated by Sri.R.Dhamodar Reddy,M.L.A.,Suryapet.Municipal Chairperson,Municipal Commissioner,A.D.J.,R.D.O.,D.S.P.,C.I.,S.I.,Dy.F.R.O.,Market Secretaty,teachers, N.G.Os,i.e. Bhanupuri Paryavaran Parirakshana Samithi,Vruksha Yagnam,Lions Club,Vasavi club,Lions-spurthi,etc have participated.Edga, New Agriculture Market Committee, and Bhavitha College are with a lot of space and protection is also available in the form of wall. About 1000 saplings have been planted at each of these places on 16-07-2010. On the same day, 1575 saplings are planted at Compost Yard. Saplings are also planted at police station, lion’s eye hospital, public club. Forest department was kind enough to supply about 1000 tall plants, which assures the sustainability of plants.
At the instance of the District Collector and Hon’ble M.L.A., saplings are planted at available protected places in all the colleges and schools. A huge rally was organized on 16-7-2010 with students to motivate the plantation in the town under the guidance of Sri.Damodhar Reddy,M.L.A.,Suryapet.
Similarly, the spaces are available in the outskirt wards in households to take up the plantation in large scale. About 10000 plants have been planted in ward number 8, 11,12,13,14, and 22. To ensure the interest in the protection of plants by the public, the teak, drumstick, curry leaves, gorintaku plants are supplied. Many people have come forward to utilize the open spaces and cover it with greenery. All the details of plantation are documented thoroughly. At last the Suryapet Municipality has accessed and planted 23,000 plants on the Million Plants Day.
Bhavitha College under the leadership of Sri Maram Venkat Reddy has done the tremendous work in planting the 800 seedlings, out of which 300 are medicinal plants, in the open space available at their new campus. They have dug the trenches near the plants and allowed the waste water to pass through it. Thus, utilized the waste water generated from the hostel .It not only conserves the water but also improves the greenery without much effort.
The edga people have also evinced in protecting the plants. They drilled the borewell to water the plants regularly. The plants have grown taller. Municipality has also continuously monitored the growth of plants.
Similarly, Sri.Srinias, Secretary, Agricultural Market Committee has taken a lot of interest in saving the plants by making the protection arrangements and watering by allocating the persons exclusively for this purpose.
Subsequently, Suryapet Municipality has sought the help of Arthika Samatha Mandal , a NGO working for the welfare of the people in surrounding of Suryapet. They have brought the plants from kadium nursery but did not put to use. Commissioner, Suryapet Municipality has observed the tall plants and requested the Project Director to supply at subsidized cost. He accepted after long negotiation to supply the fruit bearing plants @ 10 rupees and agreed for reimbursing the amount after 6 months, if it is proved to be sustainable.
The poor SHG women were not coming forward to spare even 10 rupees per plant, who are intended group of supply. Donations are collected from the philanthropic groups and plants are made available for 5 rupees. Thus, fruit bearing plantation has been done in ward number 23, 12, 11, etc. The plants supplied are mango, sapota, lemon, pomegranate, etc.
Subsequently the organizations such as Agri gold and Vruksha Yagnam has distributed and planted the seedlings at free of cost. Agri gold alone planted 5000 seedlings on 26-7-2010, out of which 500 are fruit bearing plants. On the same day municipality has contributed 500 fruit bearing plants by collecting donations.
Municipality would like to take forward the fruit plantation by buying the plants at cheaper cost, as the free supply was stopped. About 2000 pomegranate plants were purchased by collecting the donations. Anjali school, Bhavitha college and Sri Venkateshwara chit Funds have given the donated the plants.
There were a lot of Greenery in the Households and open spaces. The question is that there were many roads and colonies left without plantation.Fortunately; APUFIDC has sanctioned the project of avenue plantation under Urban Forestry. The plantation has been taken up in newly developing Indiramma colony and other slum areas. About 2500 plants were planted on the roads. The people in the various localities were motivated to water the plants in front of their houses. The up keeping of plants was done by the agency appointed by the APUFIDC.
Subsequently, after watching the interest evinced by the Suryapet Municipality, the Council for Green Revolution has donated 4500 fruit plants and 500 flowering plants. The same was distributed to the SHGs. The most of the plants were given to poor people to bring down the anemia in addition to greenery. Adding the economic value to the plants would bring the ownership on plants and leads to sustainability to plants. The banana plants are used for absorbing the inundated water. It has great capacity to absorb the water.
Everywhere there was greenery in the town. Now the question was that why the commissioner is not evincing the interest to have some plants at municipal office premises. However, out of its own nursery the Ornamental plants are planted at municipal office premises, court guest house. This not only increased the greenery but also beautified the premises.
After the rainy season, the shrubs use to survive. So, the medicinal plantation was given the priority. The aim of this plantation is to provide the medicinal plants at free of cost to the entire town people with a special emphasis on poor and every house shall have at least 3 medicinal plants in their premises. About 10,000 nalleru(sizes Quadrangles) plants have been planted in the compost yard, slaughterhouse, marshy areas to ensure more quantity of oxygen, to avoid pollution and to make available the medicinal plants. The Oma, Aloevera, Tulasi are planted to an extent of 2,000 in different clusters.
Due to the extended rainy season in the month of December, 2010, the spiraling price rise of vegetables took place and it can be decreased only through the nutritional gardens. Ample open space is available in the peripheral areas of the town. Even plantation of climbers does not take much space. People are continuously motivated to take up the nutritional gardens during the meetings. The success of nutritional gardens lies in the quality of seed. Hence, the High Yielding Hybrid seeds were procured from Mahico. Seed kits are packed with 5 varieties of seeds consisting of 50 ladies finger seeds, 5gourd seeds, 5 bitter gourd, 5 beera and 50 grams of leafy vegetable. The price fixed was at 20/-. It was made available at 10/- only to poor people by collecting donations.
At a later date, concentration is kept on to the Bachali, an easily and cheaply available leafy climber vegetable. We get more than 500 seeds for only 5 rupees. This has got ample Iron content and can fight the anemia.
There shall be a special mention for compost yard plantation. Usually, the waste under processing use to emit the Green House Gases and it lead to many environmental consequences. Suryapet Municipality has planted very big plants in compost yard to an extent of 10% land as per the norms with the help of forest department. The upkeep of plantation for two years shall be done by them only. Earlier, along the boundary, chilla kampa is planted to work as biological fencing. It does not allow the animals to enter in to the compost yard. Even nutritional garden is also maintained for the benefit of the staff working in the yard. It not only maintains the greenery but also increases the levels of nutrition in the staff while working. About 200 plants are planted to avoid the bad odour. Millingtonia vriety, pongamia, pipal and neem are taken up for this purpose. Medicinal plantation has been taken up as illustrated earlier.
Forest department has planted the gacha teega as biological fencing along the border. The teak has been planted on the border. Bohemia and millingtonia is planned to plant to avoid bad smell at compost yard. The high oxygen giving pants of neem and pipal plants of big size are planted. On a single day on 16-7-2010 about 1575 plants are planted in compost yard to maintain the greenery as per the norms. Subsequently, about 1000 nalleru plants were planted to increase the oxygen percentage.
There shall be a special mention for rearing nurseries. In co-ordination with the Vruksha Yagnam schools, colleges are given the responsibility of rearing the nurseries. Heads of the institutions have come forward enthusiastically to rear the nurseries. Even Suryapet Municipality has maintained its own nurseries with help of same NGO. Hibiscus and ornamental plants are reared. The plants are supplied at free of cost to people, philanthropic organizations. The Sub-Jail, Suryapet has also reared the nurseries.
Results
• The sustainability of household plants is very high.
• The green coverage has increased in the town.
• The drumstick, banana, papaya and other hybrid varieties started yielding with in a span of 8 months. Food is made available to poor people.
• The climber vegetable plants have started yielding in only 45 days.
• The Ambient air quality in Suryapet town and compost yard are tested and proved with in the limits.
• The rains were increased in the town without flooding.
• The sustainability of tall plants is high.
• New birds were observed in Suryapet town.Butterflies,honey bees and other beings are increased in the town.
• The temperature has not gone up even after the cutting of trees on national high way widening.Night temperatures are decreased compared to other towns in the district
• People on their own have started planting and increased the greenery.
• Suryapet municipality has also distributed its own plants to surrounding villages.
• Many NGOs worked with the Suryapet municipality for protecting and propagating greenery.
• Waste water has been utilized for rearing the plants. Thus, water conservation has been done. It is taken up in the institutions and households too.
Lessons I learnt
• Any thing is possible with people’s participation
• Sustainability of avenue plants was low due to innocence of people.
• Sustainability of nalleru was also low, as no arrangements are made for protection.
• The persons monitoring the tree plantation is also low on the part of Suryapet Municipality.
• The dead plants at some points are not replaced with new plants.
• I failed to mobilize the tree guards to make the protection arrangements of avenue plants.
• The mini parks in front of houses have not been launched.
• The progress of medicinal plants was also tardy, due to many reasons.
Bio-Eradication of Mosquitoes – Gambusia initiative
I)Geographical Features of Suryapet:
The soil in and around the town is hard gravel soil. Elevation of the town varies from +169.00 meters to 184 meters above mean sea level. The natural slope of the town is from North to South. There are three tanks namely Pulla Reddy Tank, Chowdary Tank and Nallacheruvu Tank in the heart of the town. Musi left canal passes through the town from west to east irrigating fields in and around the town. The average ground water table is about 50’ below ground level.
II)Back Ground: In 2003-04 Suryapet Municipality was at the pinnacle in managing the Solid Waste. Present Municipal Commissioner Sri.B.Srinivas too was one among them to visit the town. Astonishingly, there were many mosquitoes even during the day time. He asked the then commissioner that if it is the situation in the Suryapet, what about the worstly managed cities? The answer was that there were 3 tanks around the city of Suryapet and all the sullage water is reaching the tanks and they are the breading centers of Mosquitoes.
6 valuable years have passed; the mantle of Commissioner has reached into his hands in November, 2009. The No. of mosquitoes are increased and Dengue cases were also increased alarmingly and reached to 100 cases in the town. Even a person was also died.
Now, it is the responsibility of mc to eradicate mosquitoes. We have to spray the chemicals, do fogging under the culverts, dewatering, etc. Finally, MUNICIPAL COMMISSIONER recollected that while he was working at his native district they use to access the Gambusia fish either at Kadam dam or SRSP dam and leave them in stagnant waters to eradicate mosquitoes at larva stage.
This, in a small scale 5000 Gambusia fish is left into stagnant waters and tank waters in the month of January. Due to all the integrated efforts and atmospheric changes, Dengue cases were reported zero in a day.
In 2010, there were heavy rains in the state and Suryapet town is not an exception for that. The works of conservation of lakes was under progress. There were a lot of water was stagnant on the other side of bunds of Chowdary (saddula) Cheruvu and pullareddy tank. The water is also stagnant in storm water drain. The boon in disguise was that the constructions of Bunds to both the tanks were completed and dirty water was not reaching into the tanks.
III)Objectives of activity:
1. Eradication of mosquitoes in a biological way
2. Protecting the environment by arresting poisonous gases, by preventing the coils, mosquito killing chemicals, etc.
3. Arresting of Mosquito related deceases and ensuring the health of Suryapet town people.
4. Increasing the man days among the people and reducing the poverty.
5. Valuable money of people should be saved when they are protected from diseases such as Malaria, J.E., Chicken Gunya, and Dengue.
IV) Activity:
A meeting of all the Sanitary Jawans was called. It was instructed to identify all the stagnant waters in their respective zones. The information is obtained through the Sri.D.Sreenu,Sanitary Inspector, in the month of June itself.
MC instructed Sri Venkateshwarlu, Health Assistant to collect at least 25,000 Gambusia fish to leave in the stagnant water of the town to control Mosquitoes. Surprisingly he collected one lakh Gambusia fish in Hyderabad with the help of fisheries department and staff left them into tank waters, stagnant waters on the other side of the bund, stagnant waters of storm water drainage ( length 1.2 km ) and all the stagnant waters of the town. Fisheries department has helped Suryapet ULB a lot.
In the month of December, the rainy season extended to that month and new stagnant waters has arrived. Slowly the mosquitoes were on increase. Again we requested the fisheries officers to catch the Gambusia existing in the town to leave it into new waters. About 2500 fish are caught and left into stagnant waters. For the effectiveness, the fogging under the culverts was continued.
Due to heavy rains in December mosquitoes were increased very much. To control propagation of mosquitoes, municipality released another 2 lakhs Gambusia fish during February month in to stagnant water of the town. Result of this, mosquitoes’ propagation is slowly decreased.
IV) Outcome of activity
1. In the initial days of survey after leaving of Gambusia fish, 40% people have accepted that Mosquitoes have decreased.
2. After 6 months of the initiative, one N.G.O. by name Vruksha Yagnam have intimated that 90 % of mosquitoes have decreased compared to last year, in their locality near Chaudari tank.
3. The Dengue cases were reported only 15 during the present year compared to last year cases of more than 100. Thus saved the valuable lives and money of people.
4. The sales of mosquito coils, smoke balls ( oodu in telugu ) has been considerably decreased, as is reported by a shop owner. Thus it has decreased the pollution. It is also evident from the decrement of sales of Mosquito bats compared to last year.
5. If this initiated would not have taken, there would have been more mosquitoes, due to heavy rainfall and extended rainfall.
V)Personal Experience
While sitting on the front open space of my quarter provided by office, I use to kill at least 50 Mosquitoes with electric mosquito bat.
Soon after the initiative, I could not see even 2 to 3 mosquitoes at same place. I experienced in the same way in office building also.
In some places mosquitoes were prevailing as the breading centers were different Three advantages of fish:
Gambusia is a very small fish and it do not grow larger and heavier. It moves in the Corners of the water bodies, where Mosquitoes usually live. It is a fresh water fish but live in dirty water without inconvenience. It takes the larva of mosquitoes as food, this do not allow mosquitoes to bread. It saves valuable resources, as the cost of catching takes only a few amount.
VI)Lesson I learnt
1. Some people even caught this tiny fish and caused decrement, there by allowed increment of mosquitoes at later stage. I would have arranged boards not allowing the fishing on the other side of the tanks.
2. Staff members, who did not recognize the importance have failed to integrate other approaches and allowed mosquitoes to bread to certain extent.
3. Leaving of Gambusia is a continuous process to control the mosquitoes.
VII)Scope for integrated biological activity
In addition to the leaving of Gambusia fish, there are other two activities are as follows:
a) The lemon grass smell does not allow the mosquitoes to move near those places. It is told by some persons that Paris is a mosquito free city, as it is with presence of large lemon grass gardens. Even in our places, where there is scope for breading of mosquitoes we can take-up lemon grass gardens.
b) It is told by old persons of our village is that a fly (Thuniga in telugu, Thummiska in Nalgonda Dist., and Booga in Adilabad Dist.) can eat away the mosquitoes. My experience at Comport Yard of Suryapet reveals that there was huge garbage and stagnant water present at same place. But there were not even single mosquito because the flies are present. At one point of time, the flies were absent and I could not stay in compost yard because of mosquito menace. The requirement for presence of flies is Greenery.
c) Frogs also eat away the larva of mosquitoes and helps the human kind but unfortunately the vehicular movement kills the frogs. It is told by Senior citizens that only after intensive hunting of frogs, the Mosquito born diseases have increased in our country.
VIII) Relation of Mosquitoes to climate change:
1) In presence of mosquitoes we use coils , smoke ,repellents, which causes large scale pollution.
2) Even we close doors by not allowing fresh cool air increases the consumption of electricity and causes pollution.
3) The mosquito born diseases increases the production of medicines and accelerates the journey there by causing pollution.
4) Most of people even in the winter turn on fans to avoid the mosquito biting this increases energy consumption also increase the pollution and global warming.
All the above activities increase the pollution there by increasing the global warming and climate change.
IX) Requirement of help of people
During the summer, mosquitoes are less and live in cool places. At this time it is easy to kill them with electric bat. People has to follow this and shall not store the water with passion. They also shall not through the garbage in the drains and open spaces, which allow the breading of Mosquitoes. All the water tanks and septic tanks shall be thoroughly closed. They shall not also allow water to stagnate.
