Bhubaneswar/Anandapur: In a bid to restore the natural habitat of elephants and other wild animals, a large-scale bamboo seed ball plantation drive was carried out in the Atei Reserve Forest near Arjunbania village under Kolimati Gram Panchayat in Anandapur Sunday.
Led by environmentalist Trilochan Sahoo, the initiative saw the dispersal of 3,500 seed balls across the reserve forest.
The drive was conducted in the presence of Anandapur Range Officer Naba Kishore Nayak and Forest Squad member Binod Bihari Mohanty, who discussed the strategy for seed ball dispersal before participating in the plantation activity.
The seed balls included 3,000 bamboo, 250 Jamun, and 250 date palm seeds. Volunteers Raj Kishore Barik, Prasanna Nahak, and Manoj Kumar Sahoo also took part in the programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Trilochan Sahoo said, “Bamboo plays a crucial role in sustaining elephant habitats and reducing human-elephant conflict by providing a reliable food source inside forests.”
He noted that increasing habitat degradation has forced elephants and other wild animals to venture into human settlements in search of food, leading to frequent conflicts.
Sahoo said he has prepared more than 10,000 seed balls with the support of various voluntary organisations and women’s self-help groups.
These seed balls will be used in different forest areas across Anandapur sub-division and Kendujhar district as part of a broader habitat restoration campaign.
Referring to the recent incidents of elephants entering towns across Anandapur sub-division and causing extensive damage, Sahoo expressed hope that restoring forest vegetation through bamboo and native species would help revive wildlife habitats and reduce such conflicts in the future.
He added that the seed ball plantation programme will be expanded further in the coming months to strengthen conservation efforts across the region.