Volunteers plant vetiver to hold the soil

by August 31, 2012 Environment

Vetiver is a perennial grass (Binomial name Chrysopogon zizanioides, commonly called Khus) that has a very strong root system which grows deep and binds the soil wonderfully, preventing soil erosion. The island at Puttenahalli Lake already has some mature clumps of vetiver that were planted way back in 2010.

 Vetiver clumps on the island (May 2011)

With the rains finally making an appearance, we’ve stepped up our gardening effort. This morning there were many gardening volunteers at the lake, from different complexes around the lake and even Jeanne all the way from Richmond Town and Pankaj from Whitefield. The volunteers planted vetiver along the one of the boundary fences (near Nataraja Layout). 

The work planned for the weekend was all completed in one day! 

Volunteers at work

About a month ago, volunteers had helped in moving weeds from the lake bed/ bund/ surroundings and piled them for composting. This is now transformed into lovely rich manure, which we will use for the plants at the lake.

Rich manure

Heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers. We look forward to your continued support. 

Pics: Usha Rajagopalan

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About Arathi Manay Yajaman

Arathi is a market researcher who loves to run and write. She has been actively involved in issues that affect citizens, including apartment management, waste management and lakes. She used to live in Mumbai and is now based in Bengaluru, working as a Community Anchor with Citizen Matters.
Read more by Arathi Manay Yajaman

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