At a time when trees are being cut down in the name of progress, here is a man who fights against that. He is none other than actor, Jaggesh. So off we go to his house in Malleshwaram to meet him. “Let us take a walk around the neighbourhood,” he says. As we walk, he points to each tree, names it and tells us the story behind it.
“I have planted around 150 trees in this area. I bought this plot in 1989. When I stood here, Malleshwaram was like an open ground and I could see the railway station from here. It was hot in those days. Malleshwaram was called Kadu Malleshwara, sadly it has lost its kadu (forest) and become nadu (city). That is when I met a gardener, who told me to start planting saplings. Together we started planting trees and plants on my terrace and later all around the neighbourhood.”
Tree-lined
As we walk around, he points out the trees he planted saying, “This is a banyan tree, that one is Badami, the one you see there in the street corner is honge mara.” We reach a huge banyan tree with a tiny concrete sitting area built around it. “I got this sitting area built around the tree to protect it from being felled. This is called the somari katte (lazy bench) — a concept found in villages, where people gather together on stone bench like this and pass time. I too meet friends here, we order idlis and vadas. Eating under a tree is called vana bhojana, which calms your mind. This has been scientifically proved too,” adds Jaggesh, as we head back to his house.
Once inside, he opens the windows and you see lush, green trees around and hear the wind swish into the house with its cool breeze. We even hear birds chirp. As we sip piping hot cups of coffee, the actor says, “I feel people don’t want to have trees in front of their homes. They feel it dirties their front yard with falling leaves. They do not realise that fallen leaves look beautiful and can later be used as manure.”
Electric avenue
Jaggesh has “fought hard to stop cutting of trees around his neighbourhood. In spite of this, a family that has rented a home around here cut a tree in front of their home saying they were scared it would fall on their home during heavy rains. It was cut when I was abroad for a shoot. People are not aware of the benefit of trees around their homes.” The actor ensures that the trees are watered in summer. “We have a 500-metre water pipe and there are borewells around the area. Now the trees don’t need much water as they are grown.”
One common reason to cut down a tree is when “electricity cables are affected. I have always fought with them. They chop branches mercilessly in the name of electric problems. I approached DK Shivakumar and sought permission to get bound cables and covered the area. After that there are not many clashes with the electricity department. Even in peak summer, the temperature here is less compared to the rest of the city.”
“My advise is please don’t post messages about your love for trees or hug trees on Environment Day. Instead each one should plant at least one tree in front of their house. Just as you are nurtured and grow stronger, so do trees and they give you so much in return. If we all can do that, we won’t need to plan a holiday and take off to the hills to see greenery.”
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