ISLAMABAD: A large number of residents of the federal capital and environmentalists on Sunday prepared seed balls near Trail Five and spread them across the hills.

The event was organised by various environmentalists and the Islamabad Wild Life Management Board as a way of compensating the damage the hills had suffered in the fires this summer in which many trees were burnt.

The many incidents of fire were criticised by citizens and Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar also took notice of the matter.

One of the organisers of the event, Tassaduq Malik told Dawn that the growth rate of a seed is just 10pc which is why, across the world, seed balls are used which raises growth rate to 50pc.

“To make a seed ball, we cover the seed with clay and fertiliser and throw them at various places. As monsoon will start soon, the seeds will germinate and they will have more chances of growing due to the fertilizers,” he said.

“We made some 3,000 seed balls of which some have been thrown and others will be thrown about by residents while they are walking on different trails in the coming days,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2018