Chamarajnagar’s green warrior plants 8,000 trees

By Shilpa P | NT

Mysuru: Upset over several fully grown trees being chopped for road widening and development projects, this ‘green messiah’ in Chamarajnagar has sold his own house and pledged the gold jewels of his wife to mobilize money to plant and nourish trees in the district. And so far he has already planted 8000 trees on a 4 km stretch in Chamarajnagar city limits and is nourishing them with a dream to make Chamarajnagar a green city like the Maharajas of Mysuru made Mysuru green.

Fifty year old Venkatesh CM, an auditor and tax consultant has taken up the green initiative. Speaking to News Trail, Mr Venkatesh explained, “it was in 2016-17, when the Siddaramaiah led Congress government sanctioned over Rs 140 Crore for widening of roads and for converting them to concrete roads that several trees had to be chopped in Chamarajanagar. One day, when I was returning from Mysuru, a water melon seller lamented that that with no trees now, there was no shade and he had to wind up his morning business at 10am and return only at 4pm for the evening business. It was at that juncture that I decided to plant trees and on Sandalwood thespian Dr Rajkumar’s birth anniversary on April 14, 2017, I planted 10 trees at the railway station road in Chamarajnagar. Soon these saplings grew and provided shade,” he said.

Later Venkatesh who is also a musician , began ae drive to plant 250 trees at Dr BR Ambedkar district stadium as a mark of honour to music legend SP Balasubramaniam. He invited eco-activist Saalumarada Thimmakka to launch the drive. And now the stadium has 500 trees.

After that he has not looked back and has planted trees on B Rachaaiah road, Deviation road, Rathada beedi, Court road and Karnataka State Open University among others.