UmaMaheshwara Seva Trust has planned to conserve Devarakadu, sacred grove adjacent to historical UmaMaheshwara temple in Hosagunda through afforestation and rain water harvesting programmes. As part of this endeavour, trust has planned to plant 108 diverse varieties of saplings at Devarakadu every year.
Novelist Dr Na D’Souza who inaugurated the programme, underscored the need to maintain diversity in afforestation endeavours.
In earlier times, temples which used to be covered with thick vegetation hosted cultural programmes. Scholarly debate used to take place at the programmes organised there. Temples were not limited for performing religious rituals but were centres of enlightenment, culture and environment conservation, he stated.
Diversity though is the quintessence of nature, mono culture and mono plantations are being promoted now. The mono plantations have created imbalance in nature and lack the sustainable feature. Saplings which are suitable to local conditions and which can become source of food for the creatures in the surroundings need to be planted in afforestation programmes, he stated.
Sri Bharati peetha pontiff Sarvananda Saraswathi Swamiji said that divinity need to be realised in every component of nature. Conservator of Forest Brijesh Kumar stressed on the need to enlighten the people on the need to conserve the environment. Due to lack of information, some people indulge in destruction of nature which can be avoided with enlightenment endeavours, he stated.
Addressing the gathering, C M N Shastry of UmaMaheshwara Seva Trust said that Devarakadu which has spread over 650 acre land adjacent to Hosagunda, Jambekoppa and Madarasakoppa villages is a treasure of bio diversity. UmaMaheshwara Seva Trust intends to conserve the bio diversity of the place, he informed. Students of Kuvempu University Department of Botany planted 108 diverse varieties of saplings. DCC Bank President Manjunatha Gowda presided over the programme in which Akhila Bharata Yadava Mahasabha President T N Singh, social activist Brijendra Shukla, eco activist Anil Vasoya, Vanashree Vidyasamsthe founder H P Manjappa and others were present.
DH News Service