Chennai: The city has been receiving good rainfall off late and while people often confine themselves in their homes, Ambattur residents have had other ideas.
They have spent their time sowing palm seeds at the lakes present in Ambattur, Avadi, Korattur, Pattaravakkam and Villivakkam.
The initiative was taken up by three youngsters of the locality who along with the help of residents and an NGO named Pasumai Tamilznadu have been working on the project for three months.
Santhosh, one among three who took up the task, said,”There are loads of sapling plantation drives happening around the city. We used to volunteer for the same. However, we had a gripe in our locality not receiving such things. So, we decided well take things up ourselves.”
Asked why palm seeds were selected, Santhosh said,”It is out State’s tree. Palm is useful from top to bottom. One only needs to dig a 15 cm pit, sow the seed and cover it up. It will germinate and grow on its own.”
Speaking about the benefits of palm tree, Santhosh said,”The simple fact is that with the plastic ban coming up, we can use palm leaves for almost anything, be it making bags or other stuff. Palm trees have the nature of storing water in them at times of high rainfall. Their roots go deep into the soil. Their speciality is that they release the excess water when the ground water runs low and keeps the water table balanced.”
Santhosh said that was the reason why our ancestors chose lake bunds to grow palm trees. He also added that a male tree must be present within a 10 km radius for a female tree to survive.
At present more than 500 seeds have been placed at lake bunds. However, their plan is to go ten fold, to 5,000 said Santhosh
Before signing off he said on the occasion of this Independence day, the team had laid 72 seeds at the lakes. He can be contacted at 9841990704.