A bus conductor from Coimbatore is setting a great example by planting trees that all other Indians should take note of. The generous person, identified as M Yoganathan can now proudly say that it’s because of him, many other living creatures found life. Words are just not enough to praise his hard work.
He is an ordinary man like all of us. Apart from his busy conductor work, he still spares time to plant trees. He has not just planted one but 3 lakh trees in the last 30 years across 32 of Tamil Nadu’s districts. It is indeed an enormous count that others are still figuring out how did he manage to plant these many trees when some others haven’t even thought about planting one in their lives during the hectic schedule.
This goes to show that how much love the 49-year-old bus conductor has for the trees and for the environment. He knows exactly how worse the environment turned after the effects of constant pollution that is affecting various forms of life in the modern world.
M Yoganathan realised that the only way to make a change is to plant as many as trees as possible. We should realise how good it is to plant trees as it gives shade to us. We must promote this man by promoting his life story in all environmental science textbooks and that’s the best gift we can gift to him. He himself will feel happy when his act is appreciated and implemented by others.
Yoganathan began campaigning against deforestation in the Nilgiris during the ’80s itself. “On my weekly off — Monday — I go plant trees in all educational institutions like schools, colleges and universities,” Yoganathan told The News Minute.
Yoganathan could be the only bus conductor to get involved so deeply about protecting the environment. He even visited over 3,000 schools across the state in a bid to organise plantation drives and create awareness. He ensures that every sapling planted by a school student is named after him/her and receives sufficient nurturing.
“When I ask a child to plant a sapling, I name the plant after the child. Suppose Ramu plants a pungai (Indian beech) sapling, I would name it Ramu pungai and ask the boy to treat the sapling as his sibling and give it water daily,” he told The Weekend Leader.
Owing to his repeated absence from work, the bus conductor Yoganathan has been transferred around 40 times in his 17 years of service. He confirms his position by giving a proper explanation that he never takes leave for personal reasons.
For being excellent in planting trees for three decades, he has received numerous awards over the past several years. Knowing about his great work towards nature and protecting the environment, his chiefs have become more lenient towards him. The awards and honours Yoganathan has won Eco Warrior Award, a State Environment Department Award, a CNN-IBN Real Heroes Award, and a Periyar Award.
What are you waiting for? We are going to planting trees! Will you take this initiative to plant at least one after reading this article? Let’s show the world that we love the mother nature. We do so many things and waste time but planting one tree will have so many good effects and positives.