Jaipur, A group of women in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district is using traditional slingshots to scatter seed balls across rocky and barren stretches of the Aravalli hills in an effort to restore green cover in areas difficult to reach through conventional plantation.
Women Use Seed Balls to Promote Environmental Conservation
During the monsoon season, women are trekking into hilly and forested areas to promote environmental conservation. They utilize slingshots to launch seed balls—composed of soil, organic manure, and seeds—into hard-to-reach slopes and hilltops.
Meenal Paliwal, the district coordinator of the initiative, explained that these seed balls are made from a mixture of soil, cow dung, and organic materials, containing seeds from local species such as peepal, rohida, sheesham, and karanj.
Over the years, the campaign has attracted thousands of students, youths, villagers, and environmental enthusiasts. Women and schoolchildren are trained not only in the preparation of seed balls but also in the technique of using slingshots for their distribution.
Paliwal emphasized that effective environmental conservation does not necessarily require extensive resources. She noted, “Participation of local people and small efforts can also bring about significant change.”
