Saranya P., a resident of Kasturbanagar in Adyar planting a sapling on the divider on the concrete pathway working previous the Kasturbanagar MRTS station.
| Photograph Credit score: Particular association
Not too long ago, a cherished apply amongst residents of Adyar gained extra floor, nay extra soil.
Infrequently, a divider on a broad concrete pathway working previous the Kasturba Nagar MRTS station has been the main target of a greening train. The train is nearly all the time of a minor key — a volunteer or two in attendance and presiding over a easy planting effort — however the message it sends out is all the time enormous, and it performs out at a number of ranges. One, engagement with public areas. Two, bringing pure aid to a drearily gray, concrete surroundings. And three, emphasising the indispensable function of bushes in combating one of many stiffest environmental battles of our occasions, the battle to test local weather change.
Not too long ago, this inexperienced financial institution was enriched by an addition of 5 mahilam saplings. The divider itself has been designed as a row of concrete planters, rectangular in form. The planting of the 5 mahilam saplings was carried out by C. Namachivayam, a resident of Indira Nagar and Saranya P., a key member of Residents of Kasturbanagar Affiliation (ROKA).
C. Namachivayam, a resident of Indira Nagar, throughout a planting effort on the divider.
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular association
“Up to now, residents of Kasturba Nagar and members of ROKA comparable to Janani Venkitesh have planted saplings on this divider, as additionally the pathway that extends additional,” observes Namachivayam. “A few of them have grown to maturity and are strike any observer as full-grown bushes. Some others have disappeared as infrastructure work has overtaken them.”
However the effort to maintain the greening custom continues, with some resident or the opposite taking the time to maintain it alive.
A scattered group
The entire of Adyar has a wealthy custom of residents-driven tree planting. These residents can collectively be seen as a scattered group combating inexperienced battles individually.
M. Sundararaman (within the background). A resident of Sashtri Nagar, Sundararaman would decide seeds on the streets, elevate seedlings and have them planted in parks and different public locations.
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular association
At a park on Gangai Road in Besant Nagar, 15 poovarasan bushes stand as testimony to an effort of this type. A resident of Sashtri Nagar, M. Sundararaman, aged 85, remembers the genesis of these poovarasan bushes.
Sundararaman is understood for gathering seeds in public areas, flip them into seedings, and put them on the trail to being bushes. “I aimed toward having 45 Poovarasan bushes, and raised as many seedlings. Solely 15 of them prospered,” he observes. And that’s not a nasty quantity in any respect, when you realize they’re certainly 15 strong bushes.
In 2007-08, Sundararaman together with one other resident, Sivaraman, collected seeds, raised seedlings and proceeded to inexperienced the park close to the health club at Elliots Seashore. A part of the greenery there was born out of that initiative.
‘Pasumai’ Murthy is a veteran of tree-planting in these elements, and his efforts proceed with unflagging depth.
An orthopedic surgeon, Dr. M. Parthasarathy was an inspiration to “inexperienced beings” along with his enthusiastic efforts to inexperienced numerous elements of Adyar and past. He had additionally undertaken tree planting workout routines at Periyar Science and Know-how Centre on Gandhi Mandapam Street.
In what a large loss to Adyar’s scattered inexperienced group, Dr. Parthasarathy handed on, on Might 11 2025.
Revealed – October 26, 2025 08:07 am IST
