From the gallery crowded Photo Credit: Photo File
Vanajeevi Daripalli Ramaiah with trees he planted in the background. | Photo Credit: Arrangement
Daripalli Ramaiah, also called Vanajeevi Ramaiah for his monumental efforts to afforest in the district of Khammam and for his campaign for the plantation unit, could gain the most successful honor before death. It also from the same government that appreciated his work with the “Padma Shri” price eight years ago.
Hundreds of seedlings, which were planted 25-30 years ago on the roadside of their villages and further, which grew to magnificent trees, met at the end of 2024 at the expansion of the national highway.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Motorways approved the ongoing extension of the Khammam-Kuravi section and the CRORE approved 140 GBP. This is part of 39 national motorway projects sanctioned by the central government for 5,658 Crore.
The 37 km National Highway 365A was to be expanded from one lane to a double lane according to the project specification. The road had a thick canopy fully grown trees, planted and brought up for decades by Mr. Ramaiah.
“The journey was completely covered with tree canopies on both sides from end to end. Officials from national highways visited our father and informed that the road must be extended if the accidents should be avoided. He couldn’t say no, but he felt miserable for days,” Daripalli Kanakaiah, Mr. Ramaiah, Mr. Ramaiah.
Mr. Ramaiah, 87, asked the authorities to allow him to trigger road margins as soon as the road work was completed, but did not live long enough to fulfill his wishes.
Kanakaiah remembered that his father would start at 6 am, carrying water cans on his bike and watering the seedlings until 11:00 after lunch and a short nap, his work would begin again. Ramaiah even sold part of his country for this effort and trees grew in the rest of the Earth. During his life he planted and donated Crores seedlings and seeds.
Many of the planted varieties on the road were rain trees and pongamia, except for native species such as Tamarind, Bael and other fruit bearing trees. The Tamarindic tree, which is now gone, was close to the step of the door of Mr. Ramiah in Reddypalli, in the shadow, whose environmentalist barefoot environmentalist often rested.
Narnesh Jill, a biography and a close associate of Mr. Ramaiah, recalled that he had made a photo shoot for the book in January 2024 with trees in the background.
“Later, I was busy with my work and a book and I couldn’t visit this place as long as Mr. Ramaiah died in April. I was shocked to find out that all the trees had gone until then,” Jilla said, remembering that the trees around a thousand were set between the villages of ReddyPalli and Nayudutet.
“The government, which granted him Padma Shri for his lifelong effort, thought it was appropriate to erase it to facilitate the road. How much dystopia could get?
Published – 16 August 2025 20:51 is
