Kongavalli Farm

Project size: 8.9 acres

Western Ghats buffer zone, between Sakleshpur and Hassan, Karanataka, India

September 2023 - October 2024

Key features: Regenerative design, wild zone, food forest, earthworks, species diversification

Project team: Sanjana Radhakrishnan (Project lead); Himanshu Arteev, Joshua Danesh, Varun Behroonani, Jananee Mohan, Arun Kumar (botanist)

Elevation: 980 metres above sea level

Annual rainfall: 912mm / 36 inches

Climate: Tropical Savana

Bioregion: North Western Ghats moist deciduous / South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forest

Soil type: Sandy loam

Masterplan / Design

This 8.9-acre site is located in the transition zone between the Deccan Plateau and the Western Ghats, near Sakleshpur, Karnataka. The land is bordered by a seasonal stream with a steep drop and was dominated by invasive species, alongside intensive areca cultivation.

The project vision focused on species diversification, biodiversity restoration, regenerative agroforestry, and integrated water management. These goals were realised through a network of interconnected earthworks, including basins, ponds, bioswales, swales, and cascading pools.
This framework was supported by site-wide biomass planting and the creation of distinct planted zones such as food forests, living fences, pollinator gardens, and wild areas.

The existing areca plantation was reimagined and diversified into a resilient syntropic agroforestry system.

Environmental Study and Zoning

2 - Site Visit 1 Observations & Inferences.jpg

Design Details

Earthworks map

Major design features

Annnual water demands and sources

Planting details

Wild grasslands

Syntropic farming zone

Riparian and wild zones

Forest garden

Living fence

Site photos

Gnetum ula (tropical gymnosperm, woody climber)

Semecarpus anacardium (Marking nut tree)

Eleagnus latifolia (South Indian silverberry)

To translate the design vision into reality, the team led the turnkey implementation of earthworks and planting across multiple site visits.

This scope included day-to-day task planning and supervision, on-site coordination of materials and machinery, hands-on demonstrations for the workforce, procurement of tools, seeds, and saplings, and regular communication with the caretaker and clients.
The on-ground work was strengthened by pre- and post-visit efforts such as earthworks capacity planning, preparation of detailed plant lists, and the production of marking and implementation drawings.