Story of Dhun:

This dry and dusty piece of 500-acres of land on the outskirts of Jaipur
once hardly had 30 trees on it. But today, the same land has over 120 species of birds, 70 species of native trees and thousands of animals.

In the first part of the series, we showed how Manavendra and his team brought water using traditional wisdom which completely transformed the fate of the land.
(Do check the link above if you haven't watched the first part.)

After bringing water into the land, the team ventured into the next adventure. reviving the ecology of the place. creating a forest using indigenous trees, bringing grassland back to the ecology and finally take steps to redefine living spaces.

For creating a sustainable ecosystem, having an intelligent design was crucial. The team along with experts created an ecological masterplan in which they surveyed and, understood the topography and soil type and identified 108 species of native trees, grasses and shrubs to plant in these spaces.
After nurturing the saplings in their own nursery, the team planted them in the land now filled with enough water for them to grow.
They also used techniques like community grazing to increase the fertility of the soil.

And their hard work and vision has come to fruition with Dhun now home to around 70 species of native trees and has a grassland of its own.
The transformation has also transcended the boundaries of Dhun to nearby villages.

Today, Manavendra is chasing another dream. something more ambitious. He dreams of making a sustainable settlement in these spaces. one that is away from the cities. One which is close to nature.

-Down To Earth