Telangana: Vanajeevi Ramaiah laid to rest in Khammam as thousands mourn his demise

Forest Department staff, nature lovers plant saplings to pay homage to the green crusader

Khammam: The 87-year-old green crusader Vanajeevi Ramaiah, who passed away on Saturday, was laid to rest as mourners planted saplings to pay their tributes to him.

He was laid to rest at Pallegudem Vaikunta Dhamam on Sunday. Thousands of nature lovers and his followers from across Khammam, Kothagudem, Nalgonda, Warangal, Nizamabad, Sircilla and other districts joined the funeral procession carrying the ‘Pade’ (flower-draped bamboo pier) along with his family members.

---

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Khammam MP R Raghuram Reddy, Commissioner of Police Sunil Dutt, Khammam District Forest Officer Siddharth Vikram Singh along with a large number of Forest Department staff and officials paid floral tributes to Ramaiah at his residence at Reddypalle in Khammam rural mandal.

Srinivas Reddy described Ramaiah as a man who carried out his green mission despite many challenges and assured that the State government would stand by his family. Ramaiah had certain last wishes; they would be taken to the notice of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and efforts would be made to fulfil them, he said.

According to Ramaiah’s family members, he wanted a library and memorial built in his name, after he was gone, in a government land opposite his house at Reddypalle village where he planted around 300 red sanders plants.

DFO Vikram Singh, forest staff and nature lovers planted saplings at the Vaikunta Dhamam paying homage to the green crusader. Suresh Gupta, a nature lover from Nalgonda, brought seeds, dried cow dung cakes, ghee to offer to Ramaiah.

Deputy Forest Range Officer Suresh Kumar said Ramaiah actively worked with the department supporting their afforestation activities.