Project to reduce monopoly of vilayati kikar from Central Ridge well on track

FOCUS ON NATIVE SAPLINGS - INVASIVE TREE TO NO LONGER BE CUT

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

The pilot project on ecological restoration of the Central Ridge, which aims to add native Aravalli plant species around the invasive vilayati kikar tree (prosopis juliflora), has proven to be successful so far, according to forest officials, with more than 90% of the saplings planted in April 2022 over 15 hectares area surviving the process.

The forest and wildlife department will now proceed with the same methodology in more parts of the Ridge, which involves using the "canopy lifting" technique. The technique prunes the canopy of the tree to allow sunlight to penetrate and help the native trees grow alongside, officials said.