Sangareddy youth’s cycle yatra to improve green cover

Paladugu Gnaneshwar (23), has taken up the 41-day cycle tour to cover 75 villages in the erstwhile Medak district

Sangareddy: Watching the Manjeera River going dry and the vanishing green cover along its banks had turned a teenager into an environmentalist at a tender age of 14. And the youngster, who was born at a Mukthapur village in Nagulgidda Mandal, located close to river Manjeera, has been holding various educative programmes to sensitise the people.

Meet Paladugu Gnaneshwar (23), who has completed his MSc in Zoology and BEd, recently, and had spent a considerable time on environmental conservation during the past 11 years. On the eve of the 75th Independence Day celebrations, Gnaneshwar had planned a 41-day cycle tour to cover 75 villages in the erstwhile Medak district. However, he postponed it to take his MSc practical examinations.

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With an aim to sensitise people on the need of protecting trees, planting more saplings and to improve the green cover, Gnaneshwaar launched his ‘Cycle Yarta’ on August 23 from Siddipet.

Travelling along the Siddipet-Dubbak-Ramayampet-Medak-Narsapur-Sangareddy-Jogipet-Narayankhed road, the environmentalist had covered 45 villages so far and will reach his home at Mukthapur in a couple of days.

Gnaneshwar who plans to cover the remaining villages in the Narayankhed area, says he wants to visit all 75 villages and comp-lete the Yatra, by October 2, on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. The youngster who is keen on conserving the green cover had also planted about 3 lakh seed balls with the help of the Council for Green Revolution, an NGO working on environmental issues.

Interacting and educating the people along his way, Gnaneshwar urges them not to cut down any trees, and asks them to plant at least 10 saplings if they are forced to cut one. Asking people to take government’s permission before cutting any trees, Gnaneshwar has also planted saplings in the villages during his Cycle Yatra.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Gnaneshwar says I was in Class IX when the Manjeera River went dry in 2010. “I saw dozens of birds dying on the banks of the river, crocodiles straying into villages while the cattle and other wildlife found no water and fodder. However, I saw the villagers felling trees indiscriminately and unaware of its danger,” he says.

“I had then decided to spend a considerable time in planting trees, making the Manjeera River plastic-free by taking up educative progammes to sensitise people on sustainable development,” he adds. As part of his efforts, Gnaneshwar says he has taken up the Cycle Yatra this year. Supporting the cause, several people including Finance Minister T Harish Rao, Sangareddy Collector M Hanumantha Rao, and others appreciated his efforts.

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