Punjab to use new technology to revive barren lands

LAHORE: To counter climate change caused by environmental degradation as well as land erosion, Punjab’s Forest Department has started applying hydroseeding technology to reclaim barren lands through vegetative cover.

As per a press release released on Sunday, Punjab Forest Department Chief Conservator Abid Gobdal stated, “We have successfully carried out hydroseeding on several acres within Jallo Park close to Lahore by utilizing specialized equipment to spray a combination of seeds, water, and nutrients on the ground.”

Listing the advantages of hydroseeding technology, Abid Gondal informed Wealth Pakistan that this innovative technique had already been piloted in Pakistan on a government scale with the vision of covering barren lands with greenery and speeding up environmental rehabilitation.

“There is strong potential for the success of hydroseeding in Pakistan, provided it is implemented on a scientific basis, taking into account local climate, soil composition, and water availability,” he stated.

He stated that this method was successful where conventional seeding is a failure, like hilly slopes, barren land, or where soil erosion occurs by rain and water flow.

Abid Gondal stated, “Of Punjab’s total 50.7 million acres, about 3.8 million acres are non-agricultural or barren land.”

Gondal said that this hydroseeding technology could be successfully employed not only in Punjab’s Cholistan and Thal deserts but also elsewhere in other arid areas of the province, like Thar and Balochistan, and in other urban projects such as roadside landscaping and new housing schemes.
Hydroseeding specialists think that this technology can quickly grow grass and other plants all over Punjab, as it has been successfully effective against erosion, landscaping, and environmental rehabilitation.

They do, however, recognize some constraints in selling this technology in Pakistan, such as water shortages, lack of specialized machinery, and trained operators.

“Rocky or barren lands may prove unsuitable for this otherwise successful early development technology,” said forestry expert Naseem Butt.

Hydroseeding technology, which is also referred to as hydro mulching, was originally invented by an American engineer named Maurice Mandel, who found that seed and water could be blended to effectively distribute mulch along with seeds, fertiliser, water, organic material, and soil conditioners on slopes.

Still, the first commercial hydroseed was invented by another American named Charlie Finn a few years later.

This method has increasingly become popular as a powerful and eco-friendly option for controlling soil erosion, reclaiming land, and enhancing green cover.

It has found extensive use all over the world, particularly in nations such as the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, China, and Japan.

Middle Eastern nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have lately used this new technology to their advantage by converting their arid lands into green ones.