Nizhal’s Kaattupalli Project
BACKGROUND
One of Nizhal’s major activities in 2006-07 was a massive tree planting initiative in Kattupalli village. Kattupalli is an island 25 km north of Fort St. George, about 5 km beyond Ennore in North Chennai. The village is known for its sand dunes which support plenty of greenery, and abundance of fresh subsurface water. Unfortunately, the proliferation of industral units in the area has meant that Kattupalli’s position as the sole green spot in the midst of this industrial expanse is gravely threatened.
Recognizing the need to preserve this hamlet, Nizhal decided to take up the task of restoring the green cover to the place.
TREE PLANTING
On Sunday 3rd September 2006, a group of volunteers from Diya and Nizhal paid a visit to the village for Phase I of tree planting. The idea was to mark strategic locations where trees could be planted, then involve the local people to help in the planting. We marked out close to a 100 spots and dug out pits to facilitate planting.
As a start, we planted 20 saplings and put barricades in place to prevent damage from stray animals. The local womenfolk are extremely enthusiastic about this project and have pledged their cooperation (in fact the saplings being planted have been grown by these women in a local nursery).
One of the 20 saplings
Planting drive
The people of Kattupalli will now take this initiative forward, with local self-help groups being given ownership of trees in the neighbourhood. The long-term aim is to sensitize these people of the need to preserve greenery in their village – so that their future generations can reap the benefits of these efforts.
ET CETERA
It wasn’t all work and no play – In addition to the tree planting, there were also some fun activities in store for the kids in the village.
Drawing Competition for kids
Children on the beach
To begin with, a drawing and painting competition where the kids could showcase their artistic skills. Also on the agenda was a story-telling session with children stepping up to tell their own stories, fetching tremendous response from their peers. This was followed by a trip to the beach nearby – even with the sun beating down relentlessly, the youngsters went ahead and had a blast, enjoying themselves thoroughly.