Nagalwadi area of Khargone forest division has come with a whiff of fresh air for environmentalists concerned with global warming. Nagalwadi area hillocks which had sporadic shrubs, plants and trees till about 15 years ago have now become a precedent of lush green cover.
Increase in density of forests in this area during last one decade has baffled people. Density of forests in 4-5 hillocks of the area has increased so much that need is being felt for their scientific management through pruning. Nagalwadi, Golkheri, Padalya and Peeparkhera forest committees protect about 1046 hectare forests in the area.
Situated 20 kms away from Agra-Mumbai National Highway-2, Nagalwadi has also famous Bhiletdev Mandir. People are comparing transformation of these once barren hillocks to lush green forests to miraculous change witnessed in forest cover of Tirumala hillocks of Balaji Mandir in Andhra Pradesh.
The stupendous change in forest cover of the area can be gauged from satellite photographs of Google. On comparing old and new photographs of Nagalwadi from year 2001 to 2015 on Google, viewer is bound to believe this miraculous transformation, which otherwise seems unbelievable.
Pankaj Shrivastava who is now Chief Conservator of Forest, Khandwa forest circle had chalked out action plan for forest management of this area.
He informed that he had himself visited the area and took photographs there in year 2005 in which hillocks are looking barren. People are amazed to see lush green forest at the same places now, he added.