Nagpur, July 17 -- What was once a vast, lifeless expanse of hazardous fly ash on the outskirts of Nagpur has today blossomed into a sea of green, thanks to the vision, science, and perseverance of one man: Dr Lal Singh, Principal Scientist at CSIR-NEERI (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - National Environmental Engineering Research Institute).

In an ambitious environmental project that combines ecological wisdom with community empowerment, Dr Lal Singh led the transformation of 1,500 hectares of fly ash dumps from the Koradi Thermal Power Plant into a vibrant bamboo forest. More than 5 lakh bamboo saplings were planted on land once considered unfit for any form of vegetation -- not only reclaiming the soil but reviving the ...