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107 YO Gutsy Environmentalist Convinces Karnataka CM Not To Cut 385 Trees She’d Planted!

bySwati Dubey
4th June 2019
2 minute read

“He who plant trees, plants trees, plants hope”, says a famous quote! And Padma Shri awardee Saalumarada Thimakka had successfully planted much hope decades ago. The tales of her love for the environment are now quite popular on the internet. The oldest environmentalist in the country, Thimakka was heart-broken when the news of Bagepalli-Halaguru road widening project came to light.

She had planted 385 banyan trees along a four-kilometer highway stretch between Kudur and Hudikal in Ramanagara district in the 1960s. Hundreds of trees planted by her on the same road were about to be axed as a part of the project.

“I will not allow the trees I have planted to be chopped. I will not allow the government to carry out this project,” Thimakka said, reports News 18.

Accordingly, she met Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Monday to convince to avoid chopping the 385 trees which she claims to have raised and loved like her own children under the project.

Later on, the Deputy CM said in a statement, “It is true that she has protected these trees as her own children. It is our responsibility to protect these trees. We will try and come up with an alternate alignment for road expansion so that the trees which she planted are not harmed.”

Thimakka has bagged several prestigious national and international accolades including the Padma Shri, Karnataka Rajyotsava award, the Nadoja award by Hampi University, and the National Citizen award by the Government of India among others.

We all must take inspiration from Thimakka and do our bit in protecting our mother nature.

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