Coimbatore : With the city rapidly losing green cover in the name of development, Jadav ‘Molai’Payeng, known as the Forest Man of India, said that it was inevitable to conserve water bodies in the city to keep Coimbatore green.
Coimbatore : With the city rapidly losing green cover in the name of development, Jadav ‘Molai’Payeng, known as the Forest Man of India, said that it was inevitable to conserve water bodies in the city to keep Coimbatore green.
Interacting with media persons here during the inauguration of Jadav Aranya, an urban forest patch named after him at the Singanallur Lake today, Jadav Payeng said lakes were important to any urban ecosystem.
“Lakes would help in the growth of trees and trees would boost biodiversity, which would contribute to a cleaner and greener environment,” he said.
Jadav Payeng, who single handedly created a 1360 acre forest in a barren sand bar along the Brahmaputra River in the Jorhat District of Assam, pressed upon the creation of an international law for the conservation of trees.
The Padma Shri Awardeewho was on a day’s visit to the city, for the inauguration of Jadav Aranya, a first of its kind urban forest in Coimbatore. It is to be created with joint efforts from Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC), Centre for Urban Biodiversity Conservation and Education (CUBE) and Indian Oil Corporation.
During the event, Jadav Payeng was awarded the Dr. Ravi Sankaran Award that is awarded for ground level conservation for his work in the conversion of a barren land into a forest. The award is given in the honour of ornithologist Ravi Sankaran who worked on the edible nest swiftlets of the Andaman Islands.
Receiving the award, Payeng who addressed the gathered, largely students, urged that it was the duty of all people to plant trees and take care of them.
Calling for an updation in science education, Payeng opined that rather than plainly spending years to a get a degree in environmental science, the students could be asked to plant a sapling and take care of it for five years.
“It would be a practical lesson for the student. He should take care of the tree, safeguard it from being cut and see it grow. If such a scenario is repeated all over the State, Tamil Nadu would be greener in ten years,” he said.
Sharing his experience in the creation of a 1360 acre forest on a river island in Assam, Payeng said that conservation cannot be done on a single day adding that only continuous efforts could give desired results.
“People will stop you, try to discourage you. But never be discouraged. Keep on doing the good work and you will realise later what your small actions have,” he said adding that everything in this country depends on nature.
He earlier planted a sapling on the lake bund and witnessed the nature development activities at the lake, which was announced as an Urban Biodiversity Conservation Zone by the Government. He also interacted with students.
Earlier on the day, Jitu Kalita, the Wildlife Enthusiast and journalist who first brought Jadav Payeng to the limelight said that conservation can be made possible if people join hands. Sharing a few stories of how communities have come together in the conservation eco hotspots across the globe, he invited the students to start taking up green practices.
CCMC Commissioner and Special Officer K. Vijayakarthikeyan also shared about the journey of lake conservation at the lake explaining how the lake was turned from a dump yard filled with liquor bottles and debris waste to a biodiversity conservation zone hosting more than 700 species of flora and fauna.
Vijayakarthikeyan, who is also the Chairman of CUBE was awarded the Officer of Green Initiative Award.
Manchi Shirish, Senior Scientist at the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatti, Manash Routray, Deputy General Manager of Indian Oil Corporation limited of Coimbatore Division and P. Manikandan, Head of Engineering of Electric Mobility Solutions at Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions private limited addressed the gathering.
Students, teachers, volunteers, environmentalists, nature conservationists and general public attended the event.
Interacting with media persons here during the inauguration of Jadav Aranya, an urban forest patch named after him at the Singanallur Lake today, Jadav Payeng said lakes were important to any urban ecosystem.
“Lakes would help in the growth of trees and trees would boost biodiversity, which would contribute to a cleaner and greener environment,” he said.
Jadav Payeng, who single handedly created a 1360 acre forest in a barren sand bar along the Brahmaputra River in the Jorhat District of Assam, pressed upon the creation of an international law for the conservation of trees.
The Padma Shri Awardeewho was on a day’s visit to the city, for the inauguration of Jadav Aranya, a first of its kind urban forest in Coimbatore. It is to be created with joint efforts from Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC), Centre for Urban Biodiversity Conservation and Education (CUBE) and Indian Oil Corporation.
During the event, Jadav Payeng was awarded the Dr. Ravi Sankaran Award that is awarded for ground level conservation for his work in the conversion of a barren land into a forest. The award is given in the honour of ornithologist Ravi Sankaran who worked on the edible nest swiftlets of the Andaman Islands.
Receiving the award, Payeng who addressed the gathered, largely students, urged that it was the duty of all people to plant trees and take care of them.
Calling for an updation in science education, Payeng opined that rather than plainly spending years to a get a degree in environmental science, the students could be asked to plant a sapling and take care of it for five years.
“It would be a practical lesson for the student. He should take care of the tree, safeguard it from being cut and see it grow. If such a scenario is repeated all over the State, Tamil Nadu would be greener in ten years,” he said.
Sharing his experience in the creation of a 1360 acre forest on a river island in Assam, Payeng said that conservation cannot be done on a single day adding that only continuous efforts could give desired results.
“People will stop you, try to discourage you. But never be discouraged. Keep on doing the good work and you will realise later what your small actions have,” he said adding that everything in this country depends on nature.
He earlier planted a sapling on the lake bund and witnessed the nature development activities at the lake, which was announced as an Urban Biodiversity Conservation Zone by the Government. He also interacted with students.
Earlier on the day, Jitu Kalita, the Wildlife Enthusiast and journalist who first brought Jadav Payeng to the limelight said that conservation can be made possible if people join hands. Sharing a few stories of how communities have come together in the conservation eco hotspots across the globe, he invited the students to start taking up green practices.
CCMC Commissioner and Special Officer K. Vijayakarthikeyan also shared about the journey of lake conservation at the lake explaining how the lake was turned from a dump yard filled with liquor bottles and debris waste to a biodiversity conservation zone hosting more than 700 species of flora and fauna.
Vijayakarthikeyan, who is also the Chairman of CUBE was awarded the Officer of Green Initiative Award.
Manchi Shirish, Senior Scientist at the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatti, Manash Routray, Deputy General Manager of Indian Oil Corporation limited of Coimbatore Division and P. Manikandan, Head of Engineering of Electric Mobility Solutions at Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions private limited addressed the gathering.
Students, teachers, volunteers, environmentalists, nature conservationists and general public attended the event.