Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Environment and Forests K. Pawan Kalyan has asked officials of the Forest Department to expedite the seed ball dispersal programme by using more drones with due focus on covering the degraded forest areas.

Seed ball dispersal was a crucial process in achieving the targets of forest restoration and 50% green cover in the State, he said while addressing a review meeting on the initiative at his camp office near Mangalagiri on Saturday.

Mr. Kalyan said the dry spells caused by El Nino were hampering the dispersal of seed balls and ordered that the activity should continue without any delay in areas receiving good rainfall. Necessary steps must be taken to protect saplings that reached germination stage, he advised.

Officials informed the Deputy Chief Minister that more than three crore seed balls were made across the State and, till date, 63 lakh-plus balls had been dispersed in nearly 6,500 hectares.

They explained that for the first time drones were deployed to reach valleys deep inside the forests to drop seed balls and 1,000 acres were covered. The highest number of seed balls, nearly 28 lakh, were dispersed in Rajamahendravaram Circle, including 2.26 lakh dropped by drones. Distribution of 7.50 lakh seed balls was completed in the Visakhapatnam Forest Division and 8.67 lakh in the Kurnool forest area.

Depending on weather conditions, seed balls were being dispersed in Chintoor, Atmakur, Giddalur, Markapur and Kadapa divisions, the officials said, adding that drones were being effectively used in this massive exercise.

Published - July 25, 2026 09:17 pm IST