Panaji: A group of students of Govt College, Sanquelim, have prepared over 5,000 seed bombs of native plant species to help revive barren lands in Goa. The college has already begun distributing the seed bombs in villages across the state, starting with Amona, Navelim, Kudem village panchayats in Bicholim taluka and Morlem and Poreim panchayat in Sattari.College principal Rajesh Pednekar said that the seed balls have been prepared by 122 geography students as part of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan.“The objective was to instill conservation values in students and to provide them with knowledge of practical, cost-effective method of planting native species of plants on barren land. We wanted to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and hands-on learning. It also fostered teamwork, environmental and civic responsibility among students,” he said.The seed balls have native plant seeds such as kokum, jamun, cashew, jackfruit, drumsticks, cotton, guava, lemon, papaya and others.This campaign was also supported by the Goa State Biodiversity Board.“This programme was link to sustainable development goals such as zero hunger, quality education, climate action and life on land,” said programme coordinator and assistant professor Alpita Sawant Dessai.She said the seed balls were prepared post class hours in the afternoons by the students of geography from the BA, BSc and BCom courses along with their teachers.
