Kerala Man Transforms One-and-a-half Acres Of His Land Into Lush Green Forest

In Kerala’s Muhamma, Alappuzha, a man named KV Dayal has transformed a plot of his land into a lush forest. He achieved this in a span of over twenty-four years. Around his home, about one and a half acres of land have been transformed into a forest. Dayal, who works in the coir industry, used organic farming methods to achieve this feat. His forest hosts all the natural biological activities. KV Dayal shares the importance of forests in our environment. Two decades ago, the area he acquired was nothing but a sandbar. Through extensive research and study, he turned his property into a sprawling green space. Dayal stresses the crucial role of mutual cooperation for sustaining life. Out of the total one and a half acres of land, one acre is reserved for the forest, while the remaining half acre is used as a food forest.

In the early eighties, Dayal started planting trees here. In 1986, he and his children joined a nature study fellowship led by Professor John C Jacob of the Nature Signature Foundation. This experience inspired Dayal to create the Vembanad Natural Club. The first Organic Farmers’ Committee has been set up in Kerala, led by Professor John C Jacob. He is also the convener of this committee.

K V Dayal is the third son of Shri KG Vasu and Padmakshi in Kayippuram, Muhamma Panchayat, Alappuzha District. He has turned a small one and a half acre homestead into an impressive forest, serving as a global example. This sanctuary hosts about 200 tree species, 1,000 animal species, and small ponds.

Back in 2006, the Government of Kerala honoured him with both the Vanamitra Award and the Vriksha Mitra Award for his contributions to nature conservation and organic farming. In 2009, Mahatma Gandhi University of Kerala recognised the need to scientifically study traditional knowledge. Consequently, the Organic Farming Certificate Course was initiated in 2011.

K V Dayal, part of the faculty at M G University’s Organic Farming Course and a follower of environmentalist Sri C RR Varma, promotes lasting solutions for different illnesses using Sanatana treatment.