Marut Drones partners with UP govt, set to increase green cover through aerial seeding

New Delhi: In a novel attempt to make barren patches green, India’s leading drone manufacturer and service provider Marut Drones launched drone seeding for lands in and around Agra and Ferozabad districts.

The ongoing massive afforestation activities under the ‘Hara Bahara’ campaign in these districts spans over 10 acres of forest land. Hon’ble Minister of Forest, Uttar Pradesh, Dara Singh Chauhan, PCCF, UP; HOD of Forest of UP, other government officials, and environmental experts were present during the drone seeding session.

Marut’s Seedcopter is India’s only ‘Type Approved Drone’. Type approval is essential to generate UIN, akin to the engine chassis number, without which no drone weighing more than 250 grams can fly in Indian airspace. In pursuance of the state government’s ‘Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyan’ Marut Drone’s corporate social campaign ‘Hara Bahara’ is providing the technical expertise for dropping seed balls using drones. By aiding pollination and navigating at a micro level, Marut’s seedcopters will save operations time.

Speaking on the noble initiative, Minister of Forest, Uttar Pradesh, Dara Singh Chauhan said, “With the support of young entrepreneurs and drone technology we are taking forward the vision of our Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the state-wide plantation drive – Vriksharopan. We have harnessed drone technology to disperse seeds across 10 acres of land in and around Agra and Firozabad districts. Through campaigns of such scale, we are setting another record today, we hope to amplify the state’s vegetation cover, combat desertification, and cultivate local trees and wild plants.”

Commenting on the nationwide campaign, Founder of Marut Drones, Mr. Prem Kumar Vislawath said, “This can be India’s solution to the emerging climate crisis. The seed balls include some seeds of minor forest produce species including some fruit species, this helps in the survival of forest animals and tribal communities, and other forest dwellers. We are hoping to create a positive impact on the local environment and community in Uttar Pradesh by increasing the green cover and raising carbon sequestration.”

With a vision to use technology for a purpose, Marut drones has been working to create innovative drone solutions for healthcare, environment, afforestation, and agriculture in Telangana and Arunachal Pradesh. Marut aims to plant 1 billion trees by 2030, and for forest regeneration, has joined hands as a Technical Partner with the Govt. of Uttar Pradesh under the ‘Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyan 2023’.  This is especially in time, when India is focusing on afforestation and sustainability as a key goal.  Marut’s seed copter activity is aimed at regenerating forests rather than profit-making.

The tree species planted include Neem, Chilbil, Jamun, Babool, Aru, Seesham, Mahua, Indian Tulip, Custard apple, White teak, and Bamboo. These species were carefully chosen to preserve biodiversity, increase species that can provide a livelihood to forest dwellers, and provide shelter and food to the fauna like primates, birds, etc.

Minister of Forest, Uttar Pradesh, Shri Dara Singh Chauhan using Marut drones to disperse seed balls over thin, barren and empty forest land near Agra, Uttar Pradesh