India's dwindling forests could be revived with the help of an
artificial topsoil made from waste. Initial studies suggest that
the mixture of sewage sludge, fly ash (the residue from burning
coal) and weed compost can increase plant growth by between 50
and 200 per cent on poor eroded soils. Researchers from the
Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Western
Ontario, Canada began testing the artificial soil at two
plantations in the state of Orissa in eastern India. This week
they will start two new trials in Orissa and larger scale use of
the soil substitute is planned for next year. Michael Powell,
who heads the project, says the idea is to create a soil with
similar properties to normal, organic soil, and add to it soils
that have lost essential minerals. 'The results to date have
been quite amazing.' So far, Powell and his colleagues have
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