Shopkeeper’s 15-year green efforts bear fruit in Ludhiana

Over the past 15 years,Prakash adds,the approach has cost him nearly Rs 15 lakh to convert over 6 acres of dumping ground into green hubs. The story of the man with a green thumb began in 1997,when a temple committee was cutting a tree in Sudhar,where he owns a shop. Prakash says he fought authorities till the end and succeeded in saving the tree. Since then,there has been no looking back as his efforts are literally bearing fruit. Around 17 saplings,he planted near the Sudhar canal in 1999,are now fully grown trees providing shelter to passers-by and animals. After planting more than 1,500 saplings in Raikot (15 km from Sudhar),where he lives,Prakash is presently working towards growing a guava orchard for monkeys. “Monkeys are shooed away here. I am turning a patch of land into a hybrid guava orchard just for them,” he says.

Prakash’s passion for everything green reached its zenith in 2009,when forest officials decided to shift the government nursery in Sudhar to Jagraon as the land was required for a road project. The environmentalist swung into action and turned two acres of dumping ground,near the Sudhar canal,into a nursery within a month.

“People used to ignore this road due to stink from the garbage dump. Now people love spending time here,” says Kulwant Singh,a forest guard at Sudhar.

The shopkeeper turned activist is adamant that he wants to steer clear of any controversy. “I will never make any NGO because it involves public money and I don’t want any controversies in my work,” Prakash says.

And the 15-year journey hasn’t been smooth for the bachelor. Among his major expenses include Rs 800 per hour for garbage cleaning machines,apart from his labour bills. “On the face of it,everyone praises you but when it comes to real help,I just have 2-3 friends who really help me in this work,” Prakash says before going on to list the sacrifices for this kind of endeavour.

“I never spend on luxuries like a car and mobile. All my money goes into buying saplings and I at times transport eight at a time by bus,” he adds. It is the love of greenery,however,that keeps him going. “I never get disappointed even when a cleaned area becomes a dump overnight,” he adds.