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Mangaluru: That buzz that scares you, thinking a honey bee is coming after you, especially when you hear them in the forest may not just be the hum of the bees or other summer insects. In the near future it could be a small fleet of drones, coming to replant and restore forests that have been stripped of trees by industrial-scale deforestation.
It’s all part of an ambitious plan by Krishna J Palemar, Ex Minister- Ecology and Environment for the Government of Karnataka, inspired by the BioCarbon Engineering, a U.K.-based startup. He always had a dream to plant one lakh more trees, especially the rare ones in the Western Ghats and to ensure the flora and fauna are undisturbed.
On the occasion of world environment day, this drone was unveiled on June 4th at Vikas Campus by Krishna J Palemar, with the august presence of MLA Shri. C.T.Ravi and the chairman of Krishi Vigyan Kendra Mangaluru Prof.Shivakumar.
Deforestation downs 10 billion trees around the globe annually. Replanting trees by hand is slow, expensive, and barely puts a dent in reversing the damage. But one startup wants to use drones that can reforest our increasingly tree-strapped Earth, on a big enough scale to replace slow and expensive hired humans.
The Drone based reforestation scheme is simple and efficient. This is for the first time in India, Drone based approach in planting is introduced.
The chief guest of the Program, C.T Ravi said, “Live and let us live policy we have left it behind “He says that it has been a reality to celebrate world environment day as we have destroyed the forest. Human Beings cannot live destroying the nature,even if we live 100 years nature cannot be changed. The huge environmental issues like wastage and losses of food, deforestation, increasing global warming and so many.He narrated a story what he heard during his young days to make the students aware of the greediness shown by human beings which gives a greater loss to us.
The chairman of Krishi Vigyan Kendra Mangaluru Prof. Shivakumar , Guest of honor of the program said, ” In the future we will not have the phobia of war, health but we have the phobia of greenery.We get gold but not food, we get petrol but not water”.which highlighted the danger in the future.
To give a human face to environmental issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development; promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and advocate partnership, which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future. Drones will remove the deforestation this technology will dispose the seeds to the corners of the place.
Sri Krishna J Palemar Chariman of Vikas Education Trust addressed the gathering by saying save the nature by planting it is the responsibility of everyone even after celebrating the world environment day. We have destroyed the nature but we are trying to save it. The farmer’s friend earthworm is not found we are getting it from some other country.He motivated the students to get along with Mr. John to preserve the nature.
Here’s a quick look at how it plans to deploy its drone fleet:
Do a 3-D aerial survey.First, drones are sent to fly over a potential planting zone, snapping photos that create 3-D maps of the area to be reforested. The number of drones will vary depending up on the size of the seeding.
Create a seeding plan. Once all that terrain data has been analyzed, it then generates a seeding pattern that best suits the terrain.
Load the seed pods. The drones, which are equipped with guidance and control software, carry pressurized canisters of seed pods with germinated seeds immersed in a nutrient-rich gel.
Hover and plant. Flying at a height of 1 or 2 meters, the drones follow the planting patterns, firing the biodegradable seed pods down to the ground. The pods break open upon impact, allowing the germinated seed a chance to take root.
Palemar sees his dream project of these drones, which are exclusively custom made and built by a startup in Mangalore, Dreamers Pvt Ltd at Sahyadri College Incubation center, as an important way for existing reforesting organizations to expand their approach. “There are some times when planting by hand is absolutely the right approach,” he says. “But, in other instances, the drones can be a very effective tool for the right location at the right time. To combat industrial scale deforestaion, industrial scale reforestation is the only solution.”
Palemar plans a full implementation of this project having a team of two operators running seven or eight drones simultaneously in the near future. He also plans to take this project to the national level and give it a boost to ensure more trees are planted all over the country.
Planting at about 10 pods per minute will equate to roughly 36,000 trees per day for each team. The next set of drones that will be designed will have solar powered batteries and capacity to fire more seed pods.
Secretary of Vikas Education Trust Sri J. K Rao, Trustee Sri J. Koragappa, and Sri Suraj Kumar Kallya, Advisor of Vikas, Dr. Ananth Prabhu G, Principal Prof. Venkat Rayudu, Academic Advisor Prof. Jino K John were present. Mrs .Deepika Shetty was the Master of the Ceremony.
