Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Monday launched a first-of-its-kind project under which drones will be used for planting trees under the ‘Hara Bhaara’ campaign. The new initiative aims to plant 50 lakh trees in 12,000 hectares of land in forests across all the 33 districts of the state.
In a press release, the Telangana government stated that its ITE&C and forest departments have partnered with Marut Drones, a Hyderabad-based drone technology startup, to launch the drone-based afforestation project called ‘Hara Bhara’.
The Seedcopter Drone, as it is called and which is made by Marut Drones, was unveiled by state IT minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Monday, at the launch of ‘AgHub’ in the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) campus in Hyderabad
AgHub is an incubator at PJTSAU which aims to inspire entrepreneurs and students to create agri innovations and entrepreneurial ecosystem through ideation, incubation, and innovation
The state’s new ‘Hara Bhara’ campaign will accelerate the mission of a “green Telangana” under the Haritha Haram programme by working in line with the vision of chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) according to a press release from KTR’s office.
Seedcopter by Marut Drones is an aerial seeding solution for rapid and scalable reforestation. It will supposedly bring community, science and technology together for an inclusive, sustainable, and long-lasting solution.
It’s aimed at not only reversing environmental damage but also creating vital employment in rural, tribal, and other vulnerable communities. Its core objective is to build strong communities for afforestation and bring awareness at a grassroots level on the effects of deforestation.
This project uses drones to disperse seed balls over thin, barren, and empty forest lands to turn them into lush green abode of trees. The process begins with a field survey and mapping of the terrain area to understand the ecosystem and demarcate the areas needing urgent attention, stated the release.
This is used to determine the number and species of trees that can be planted in the barren land based on the soil, climate, and other parameters. The seed balls are prepared by the local women and welfare communities who are dispersed via drones in the targeted areas. Further, the area will continuously be monitored to track the growth of plants sown.
IT Minister KT Rama Rao remarked at the post-launch event, “Forests are essential to maintain a clean and habitable environment for human life and emerging technologies have the potential to support the afforestation efforts.”