Kerala’s 85 years old Devaki Amma Grew forest all by herself.

WORKING FOR 40 YEARS, KERELA’S 85YEAR OLD DEVAKI AMMA GREW THE FOREST ALL BY HERSELF!

 

INTRODUCTION TO DEVAKI AMMA

Devaki Amma joined her mother-in-law to cultivate paddy post-marriage and continued until 1980. That year, she injured her leg severely in an accident and was advised to avoid walking for a couple of years.

As she was injured and her mother-in-law was too old, the family had to discontinue the paddy production.

 

But her undying love for farming did not cease. Devaki Amma planted one sapling in the backyard of her home three years after the accident. One sapling led to another, and before she knew it, she had created a lush green forest spread over five acres of land in her private property in the Onattukara region in the Alappuzha district of Kerala.

From the time his wife started her mission till the day he died, Devaki Amma’s husband Gopalakrishna Pillai—a teacher by profession—brought her different varieties of seeds every day. Her children and relatives also supported her immensely either by morally encouraging her or by gifting her several species of plant saplings.

 

One of her granddaughters is currently studying Botany so that she can take Devaki Amma’s love for all things that grow forward.

 

NEUTRALIZING  CARBON FOOTPRINTS, MIGRATORY BIRDS, AND MORE

Located close to the beautiful backwaters of God’s Own Country, Devaki Amma’s house is spacious, abundantly supplied with natural water and climatic conditions conducive to plant growth.

 

With a couple of private ponds, a wetland, and animals like cows, buffalos, and oxen, Devaki Amma has been single-handedly nurturing her forest for years.

WHAT’S MORE?

She uses greener options to sustain the forest. For instance, she uses organic manure to grow teak, mahogany, tamarind, mango, bamboo, and pine. Shrubs, creepers, medicinal and exotic plants are also a part of this Devaki Amma-made forest. Close to 1,000 trees now supply fruits, flowers, and vegetables.

 

This has led to multiple positive outcomes, one of them being the presence of exotic and migratory birds in the forest.

Well-versed with the problem of global warming and environmental degradation across the world, Devaki Amma wants people to neutralize their carbon footprints.

AGE NO BAR

Though physical challenges have made her hire people to look after her beloved forest, Devaki Amma still strolls around her forest and takes care of the plants like a mother.“Covering five acres of land is no easy task. But every morning she makes sure she walks even if it is for five minutes. Since there are very few occasions when she plants a sapling, she talks to the trees. This way she doesn’t feel that she is neglecting her forest,” says Thankamani.

 

India’s President Ram Nath Kovind recently awarded Devaki Amma with the Nari Shakti Puruskar for her enormous contribution towards the environment and congratulated the forest warrior on his Facebook timeline.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

The President said,

 

Devaki Amma has been relentlessly working toward protecting biodiversity by planting and nurturing plants from various parts of India. Her contribution toward the environment has been a driving force of change and has raised the awareness and consciousness of people.

The Nari Puruskar award is her second national award, the first being the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra award. Besides, she has won several awards from the State Government including Vanamitra Award and Harita Vyakti Puraskar.

 

With so many accolades and awards in her basket, the biggest happiness for Devika Amma is to see her grandchildren and great-grandchildren developing a safe environment for future generations.