Maintenance of Trees from a Prior Project in Karnataka
Chinthana Foundation, Ajjampura, Karnataka
Contact: Mr. Channappa
Dates: January 2022 – December 2023
Total Budget: Rs. 3,83,000
2022 budget: Rs. 2,06,500
Chinthana foundation has continued replacement of 475 plants (from a previous project) that were destroyed during the Covid pandemic by livestock and due to lack of maintenance when schools were closed by a government directive. The plantings are in five school grounds (Arabala (55), Garagadahalli (35), Bhotanahalli (125), Bankanakatte (235), Muguli (25)) in Ajjampura block of Chikmagalur districts of Karnataka. All schools now have compound walls or barbed wire to protect the plantings from livestock.
A meeting was held with school officials, children and SDMC members to take responsibility to preserve and protect the plants. Chinthana visited the projects regularly, made repairs to the barbed wire fences to preserve the existing plants. Various horticulture and agro-forestry plants have been planted in these five schools. It is only during summer when there is shortage of water source, they use tanker truck water.
Chinthana has continued weeding, hoeing, mulching and manuring around the trees in all 5 schools. This has enabled the tree roots to get enough oxygen, water percolation and penetrate deep into the soil. This was done regularly on a quarterly basis in all plantation areas. As a result, the plant growth was promising. In three school tree plantings, nutrient rich red soil silt from a dry water tank was applied to increase the soil fertility. Also, compost pits have been dug to make compost manure.
