Daripalli Ramaiah

Daripalli Ramaiah “Of all the species that consider the Earth as their home, the most exalted is the human being. He supposedly has intellect, can think, can do and can get things done. Nature has bestowed her choicest blessings on this form of life. Therefore, we have a duty towards nature. Protect the nature; protect everything created by God, for the posterity,” says Daripalli Ramaiah. He is fabled as the ‘man who planted more than 10 million trees’. Daripalli Ramaiah was born in Reddypally, Khammam district of Telangana when India was still incarcerated under the British regime, in the year 1937. Today at 83, he is still sprightly and carries several seeds in his pockets, traversing on a cycle which perhaps keeps him fit. He keeps planting the seeds in the hope that the entire area would become verdant in his lifetime. His mind is motivated to plant trees with no material benefit in sight. Apart from planting several trees with a missionary zeal he parts with plants without charging any money in return. It is reliably learnt that to fulfil his passion he once requested the local MLA to plant a tree. It so happened that the same individual donated him Rs.5,000 to perform his son’s marriage. Ramaiah instead deployed the princely amount for the tree plantation function. Such is the commitment and concern of this legendary person towards making the planet green. I wonder why TV channels who devote an entire day’s time championing the laudable cause to make our planet green, do not focus their attention even for a few seconds on these unsung heroes of India who have nothing at stake but our posterity. They have seen parched lands screaming and languishing for the monsoons. Such individuals are a witness to famine, poverty and degradation of the soil and the agrarian crisis and do not merely pay lip service or platitudes for bytes. He was feted with Padma Shri in the year 2017, for his invaluable contribution to extending the tree cover. In local parlance the elderly and respected one is known as ‘Chetla Ramaiah’ or ‘Trees Ramaiah’. In his messianic drive to provide green cover, he is estimated to have planted more than 10 million saplings in and around Khammam district with a singular thrust on trees which provide shade, fruit-bearing plants, and bio-diesel plants with assured benefit to the future generations of the denizens of Khamam district of Telangana. As a tireless campaigner of social forestry spanning five decades, Ramaiah is unable to recollect as to who pulled the trigger in his mind to launch this crusade. Somewhere in the alcoves of his mind is a hazy memory that as a child he was a witness to his mother saving some seeds of vegetable plants which could be fruitfully utilised during the subsequent sowing season. On occasion Ramaiah is accompanied by his wife and some school children from local schools. It is a matter of travesty that he could never receive any formal education. However, in his pursuit of excellence he has read a Brobdingnagian number of books on trees and various process of planting trees. Many environmentalists consider him to be a walking encyclopaedia on the local trees. The government of Andhra Pradesh provided Ramaiah a special recognition for his relentless drive and contribution towards the country. Upon the formation of the state of Telangana, he continued to receive support from the Chief Minister, K.Chandrashekar Rao’s several flagship programmes such as Telangana Ku Haritha Hāram (Green Garland). The objective of Haritha Hāram scheme is to increase the green cover from the present 24% to 33% of the total geographical area of the state. This is no mean achievement and reflects the muscular mind of Ramaiah and his deep insight to transform the parched lands of Telangana.