Vanajeevi Ramaiah, a man who walked the talk in his green mission

Born on July 1, 1937, to Lalaiah and Pullamma, Daripalli Ramaiah was known popularly as Vanajeevi Ramaiah because of his efforts to spread greenery by planting over a crore saplings in his lifetime

Khammam: The green coloured circular insignia with the slogan ‘Vruksho Rakshati Rakshitah’, which green crusader Vanajeevi Ramaiah carried on his head all his life, now stands at his body as a silent witness of his love for nature.

Telangana’s green crusader will be remembered for every sapling he planted, every seed he sowed and every tree he protected over the last several decades. Born on July 1, 1937, to Lalaiah and Pullamma, Daripalli Ramaiah was known popularly as Vanajeevi Ramaiah because of his efforts to spread greenery by planting over a crore saplings in his lifetime.

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He received hundreds of awards in honour of his crusade to protect the environment. The Indian government honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2017, thus making him the first person from Khammam district to receive the award.

Riding on a bicycle, he used to visit villages carrying plants as part of his ‘Vruksha Raksha Abhiyan’. Due to advanced age, he replaced the bicycle with a motorbike.

For those in Khammam, it has been a common sight to see Ramaiah sitting on the ground picking up seeds in summer and distributing them in forests and open lands in monsoon. Even as many mocked and called him a mad man for what he was doing, he continued his mission to spread greenery in the interest of future generations.

Trees he planted along an 8-km stretch from Khammam to Reddypalli stand as testimony to his tireless work.

As former CBI Joint Director VV Lakshmi Narayana put it, Ramaiah walked his talk, showing what one man could do for the planet. Ramaiah’s work in afforestation inspired lakhs across Telangana and beyond and it remains unforgettable, he said.

In an era where the world increasingly resembles a concrete jungle, Ramaiah’s unwavering passion for nature stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration for future generations. His legacy reminds us all of the importance of nurturing our environment, Sulakshya Seva Samithi founder Santhosh Manduva told Telangana Today recalling his association with him.

Ramaiah once said it was a lesson ‘Plant cultivation – Benefits’ taught by his teacher Mallesham that inspired him to carry out his green mission spending his own money. In his mission, he set aside his family sometimes, met with accidents and fell sick, but never abandoned the mission.

He could list out names of as many as 120 plant varieties and named his grandchildren after plants. The previous BRS government included a lesson on his life in the Class VI Social textbook while the Maharashtra government included a lesson in the Class IX textbook.