Global warming continues to affect rural livelihoods across the country. With the threat of climate change looming large, farmers are becoming concerned about its adverse impact. A sudden instance of a cloud burst, or a heavy downpour or a delayed monsoon can wreak havoc in a farmer’s life.
Tobacco major ITC, through its Green Cover campaign covering 1,350 acres in drought-prone Prakasam and Nellore districts, is driving a change in the rural hinterlands while providing farmers a cover against climate change, under its Mission Sunehrakal Programme.
Unlike the conventional tree plantation, the integrated approach in increasing green cover has been helping in sustaining trees and plants.
Under this programme, a village is taken as a base unit. Village panchayats are encouraged to adopt this programme and resolutions are passed regarding the maintenance and care of the green cover.
“We have made it mandatory for sheep and goat-rearers to ensure control on grazing in identified common lands,’’ said Venkateshwara Reddy, president of Village Institution for Commons Protection, Thimmareddypalem village. Cattle proof trenches are done around the borders of all the sites to restrict the grazing animals from entering the green cover area.
Improves soil health
The highlight of the project is integrating all the aspects of watershed management in the area to ensure improvement in soil health and increase moisture levels. In addition, the project ensures area treatment covering 3,400 hectares of watershed delineated in the area with 303 water ponds and 24 large water tanks built to conserve rain water in these common lands.
Some of the innovative techniques include construction of water absorption trenches, cattle proofing trenches around the borders and sunken ponds in small streams to arrest the top soil erosion.
Various native tree species – telamathi, holiserisa, moduga, neem and nemalinara – have been identified and the seeds are planted through seed balls prepared using fertile soil mixed with farm yard manure.
“The Green Cover project will be highly helpful in controlling the village-level species extension, improve biodiversity conservation and play a larger role in carbon sequestration. ITC will continue to enhance the ecological environment in villages and by the next three years the programme will spread to 2,700 acres in Prakasam and Nellore districts,’’ said ITC-ABD chief executive Sanjeev Rangrass.
