Mangalore: One Man’s Fight for a Clean, Green, Environment
by Rajesh S
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (RS/CN)
Mangalore, Aug 4: While the city corporation is engaged in cutting down trees in an effort to turn all the city roads into concrete ones, one man persists in his effort to keep the city green by nurturing plants in public places.
Whenever he finds barren land where a plant can grow, he digs up a spot with his pick-axe and plants a shrub in the hope of seeing a greener environment in the future.
Over the past three years, Jeeth Milan Roche has been planting saplings in public places during the rainy season. His son Shan Ethan Raj, aged about eight, also helps him in this work. The father and son duo have planted more than 800 plants in three years.
A resident of Morgan's Gate, each year, Jeeth plants numerous saplings in public places including the side of the road, on barren government land, and on the free space by the side of the railway tracks.
This year he has also taken his plants to a cemetery near St Rita’s Church in Cassia near Morgan’s Gate.
Jeeth says that it is his hobby and his concern is with maintaining the environment with the help of trees.
This year he has planted 400 trees. He started in 2007 with 25 plants and the next year he planted 300. Every year, he purchases plants from the horticulture department but this time one of his friends helped him get a good number of plants free of cost from the department.
In addition to this, Jeeth also purchased nearly 150 plants. “But I do not see all the plants growing in the same manner. Humans are the enemies of plants, not animals”, he says sadly.
“The cleaning crew from the city corporation sometimes cut the plants while doing their work. Some residents throw garbage on the plants. But I prefer to choose those plants which animals (cows) do not like. Some of the plants which may be eaten by cows are planted in protected areas where the cows cannot go”.
Showing some of the damaged plants near Gujjarakere he said, “Some people cut it. Everyone wants a good, cool environment and fresh air without having to install air conditioners inside their homes, but they never contribute anything to the environment. Forget contributing, they do not want to tolerate the contribution of others either,” he said angrily.
When asked about inspiration that led him to do this, he said that this was a contribution from him as he wanted to do something for future generations after reading about global warming.
But Jeeth has been an inspiration to a team of youth who sought him out seeking to do their mite for the environment. He supplied them 400 plants and he wants more youth to come forward.
He said that his son Shan Ethan was his dedicated helper. While he digs, the boy helps by handing him the shrubs and other things.
Shan Ethan is a brilliant student, who actively participates in drama, dance, and music competitions and is also a prize winner.
Jeeth is the son of Vincent Roche and has his father’s support every inch of the way. With his mother hailing from a family of agriculturalists, the work of planting comes easily to Jeeth.
A senior executive in a private company called First Indian Corporation, Jeeth adds that the company was also impressed with his work for the environment as it creates awareness among its staff.