Special project launched to revive lost biodiversity at police training school in Gwalior

Bhopal, Jun 10 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh Police has undertaken a unique initiative to recreate lost biodiversity in about 172 acres of a barren land at its police training school in Gwalior where hundreds of constable recruits are skilled every year, officials said.

The police training school (PTS) located in Tighra area (of Gwalior) abuts a dam by the same name (Tighra). The dam is the primary source of drinking water for the historic city, about 430 km north of state capital Bhopal.

A senior police officer told PTI that multiple plantation drives undertaken at this location have failed due to the presence of invasive species of plants like 'vilayati kikar' (Prosopis juliflora) and the rocky terrain of the area.

Despite having such a big water body (dam) in the vicinity, the PTS campus and its surrounding areas barely have any tree-cover and its topography looks scorched and barren, he said.

The initiative to rejuvenate this area was launched on the occasion of the World Environment Day on June 5 by the training wing of the MP Police headed by Additional Director General (ADG) Raja Babu Singh.

The officer said they have a large area to work on as out of the 172 acres of the 1960 established PTS only about 40 acres is occupied by buildings and other infrastructure like training areas.

We currently have about 800 recruits being trained here and they will play a vital role in recreating the biodiversity of the area by working on the project during weekends, he said.

The recruits are trained at the PTS for nine-months following which they are inducted into the MP Police as constables.

The rejuvenation plan envisages planting about 6,000-7,000 nitrogen fixing and fruit bearing plants apart from sowing carbon absorbing grass and bamboo grooves. These plants will also help in checking soil erosion, the officer said.

The trainees will also be helping to create rows, bunds and canals and setting up drip irrigation systems across the length and breadth of the PTS, according to the action plan.

ADG Singh said the force has also roped in a variety of experts, including environmentalists and forestry veterans to take the project forward.

"We are urging people from all walks of life apart from experts to join hands with us in recreating the lost local biodiversity surrounding the Tighra dam and the PTS.

"This will not only ensure that the dam's water level does not diminish during dry spells, it will also help aquatic animals to survive and thrive.We are hopeful that this unique plan becomes a model for such future projects," Singh said. PTI NES DV DV