Pasumai Vidhaigal, an NGO, has planted more than 1,000 saplings of fruit trees on the campus of the Ullavoor government school in Kancheepuram district.
The students of the Ullavoor government school in Kancheepuram district would have a mini-forest behind their school premises as Pasumai Vidhaigal, a non-governmental organisation, has planted more than 1,000 saplings of fruit trees.
The school is adjacent to a forest area in a nondescript village in Walajabad taluk. To sensitise the students to the importance of protecting the environment and growing trees, the school decided to plant saplings.
The school authorities approached volunteers of Pasumai Vidhaigal for creating a mini-forest. The NGO, based in Kancheepuram district, has been creating Miyawaki forests and planting saplings of traditional trees, including palm, tamarind, and guava, along roads and around lakes.
Green activities
N. Saranraj, the founder of Pasumai Vidhaigal, says the NGO has been into protection of the environment and the traditional tree species. Along with hundreds of volunteers, it has been taking up green activities in Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts. Now, it has planted 1,000 tree saplings to provide a conducive environment for the children to play and for birds to nest.
It has planted saplings of native fruit trees, including figs, guava, novella, and iluppai, to make the mini-forest sustainable. The school authorities have formed a team of student-volunteers to nurture the saplings and to protect them from the cattle.
The project was funded by NatWest Group, of which employees and the students planted the saplings. A farmer has been appointed to water the saplings regularly.
A few other schools and colleges in Kancheepuram district have requested the NGO to take up such projects on their campuses.
28 Miyawaki forests created
Pasumai Vidhaigal has been planting one lakh palm seeds in 82 waterbodies in Kancheepuram district. It has created 28 Miyawaki forests.
To protect the native plant and fruit species, the NGO has been germinating their seeds. The saplings are then distributed free of cost. In the past 10 years, Pasumai Vidhaigal has distributed 2.70 lakh saplings free of cost.
Published – March 11, 2025 11:08 pm IST