Meet Ramesh, The Man Who Single Handedly Turned A Barren Hill Into A Lush Forest!

Ramesh Y, 40, is a man who can put the armchair environment activists of Bangalore to shame and inspire the youth of the nation at the same time with his incredible contribution to environment conservation.

He had single-handedly turned  a stretch of 5-8 sq km of the rocky and parched Karighata Hills into lush fields of foliage with systematic irrigation that is now a paradise for birds and other fauna.

Ramesh, who would work as a water delivery guy in Srirangapatna and nearby areas, would often look at the barren stretches of the Karighata Hills and wonder if he could do something to make it look as beautiful as it ought to be. He started by building small bands and watered around them but that didn’t yield results as he was hoping for.

Someone advised that digging up a good irrigation system is the only way to save the trees in the area but Ramesh with his limited income and resources had no idea how to go about it.

 

One day, while carrying his empty water cans back, the idea of using these empty cans for irrigation struck Ramesh.

What followed were some intense research, planning and a whole lot of back-breaking toil. However, Ramesh eventually realized that his plans were actually working. Soon, Karighata Hills turned into booming landscapes that lured in beautiful birds who would drink off the can. Ramesh even placed sticks in the can to make it easier for the birds to get a grip.

He also planted Ayurvedic herbs around the large trees. He had put conservation messages all around the area hoping that they would encourage people to appreciate the greenery and contribute in conserving it.

 

He carries 30 cans of water from the Lokapavani river and brings to the Karighata Hills by foot or in his auto.

However, there are people who are bringing terrible setbacks to Ramesh’s commendable efforts. Deliberate and man-made forest fires by the locals is something Ramesh is trying to fight together with the forest officers.

“I told forest officials about it and they are trying to be proactive by digging trenches to stop the fire. However, unless we educate the locals, it may be of little help,”

 says Ramesh, who toiled for five years to turn the barren hills into the dream he has visioned. 

Hope this man can inspire a lot more who are thinking in the same lines.

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