Sixty-two-year old green crusader Veerachari has nurtured thousands of avenue trees but is in financial trouble as he goes about it with no help from the government. He has had to pawn his wife’s jewellery to pay the loan he took to buy an autorickshaw to drive around villages and speak to the people about caring for the environment.

A blacksmith by profession, Veerachari, who has planted over 3,000 trees of various species, does not have money to repair his dilapidated house in Mittlakatte, Davangere district or get his daughter married. But this does not stop him from eyeing with pride the 2,500 trees he has nurtured along the 10 km stretch between Shamanur and Jarikatte, at bus stands and schools in and around his village.

So committed is Veerachari to the cause that he makes it a point to take part in mass marriages and gift the bridegrooms plants and after a funeral he never fails to plant saplings near the grave. Neither acute poverty nor opposition from his wife, three daughters and a son have been able to stop him from following his green mission.

“Trees are my children. I worship God by planting and nurturing them. But I had to pawn my wife’s jewellery to repay the Rs 2 lakh loan I took to buy an autorickshaw as private financiers threatened to confiscate it and take away the only mode of transport I have to distribute saplings to the people,” Veerachari says.

Over the last three decades, he has explained to children the importance of planting trees in their schools and homes, and gifts books, pencils and pens to those who take the trouble to actually do so.

He even uses the cash awards he receives from various organisations to employ workers to plant more trees and distributes the seeds and saplings which he gets from the forest department free of cost to the people at village fairs.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / By Vittal Shastri / Jun 05th, 2011 / DC / Hubli