Greenery balms the wounds of mining; the hill’s face has changed in 8 years.

Our Shankargarh hill, scarred by the wounds of mining, is now smiling. The hill is now blooming with greenery, a balm for the pain of mining.

With the support and participation of the Green Army, the Forest Department, the administration, and other organizations, the face of Shankargarh hill has completely changed in 8 years. The story of this transformation is that until 2015, the hill was suffering the pain of mining. After the mining ban, the healing of the wounds of Shankargarhi hill began. Young people from the city, including Samarjeet Jadhav, Ashutosh Chaturvedi, and Nitesh Bansal, along with some friends, visit the hill. They gradually began planting trees there. After a few people had to be involved, the plantation began on Sundays. Several organizations, including the Rotary Club, also came forward. Tree plantation programs began to be held periodically on the hill and awareness was raised, but due to lack of security, the conservation of the plants was hindered.

During this time, the Forest Department team came into contact with Samarjit Jadhav, Ashutosh Chaturvedi, Nitesh Bansal, and others. Subsequently, under the guidance of the then DFO, PN Mishra, the Forest Department also began working on tree plantation and conservation. Following the DFO’s suggestion, Samarjit Jadhav and others formed the Green Army and took on the responsibility of planting and caring for the trees.

Planning to Plant Over 20,000 Trees
The department is continuously working with organizations to conserve trees. Under the Collector’s guidance, tree plantation will be conducted on Mata Tekri as well as Shankargarh Hill. The plan is to plant over 20,000 trees on Shankargarh Hill in a phased manner. This number will be increased as circumstances dictate.

In collaboration with other organizations, public participation, and the administration, tree plantation on the hill began on a substantial scale after 2019. In 2021, Collector Chandramouli Shukla initiated a large-scale tree plantation initiative, turning it into a campaign. At that time, over one lakh trees were planted in collaboration with organizations, departments, and the general public. Since then, efforts have been continuously made to plant and protect them.

These arrangements have been made:
Fencing has been installed. Permanent watering arrangements have been made for the plants, and approximately 15 types of gardens, including the Belpatra and Triveni Nyay Vatika, have been established. Current Collector Riya Gupta, in collaboration with the hill forest department, has also initiated work on water conservation and tree plantation here. Check dams and other works are being carried out here. Additionally, large-scale tree plantation has been planned. Currently, over one lakh trees cover the hill with a blanket of greenery.