Warangal: Md. Saleema of Mahbubabad-based NGO Nenusaitham, after having successfully completed a ‘Haritha yatra’ on a bicycle under which she paddled through all the 231 villages of Mahabubabad recently, is out once again on foot to continue efforts to create awareness about planting trees and preserving ecological balance. She campaigned in villages during her bicycle campaign and gave away about 50,000 fruit trees to villagers after explaining them about the importance of growing more trees.
This time, Saleema decided to campaign on foot to create awareness among villagers. She wants to make people realise that planting saplings would be a big help in ensuring good rains rather than following the superstitions still being followed in the villages. District collector Preethi Meena, while flagging off the ‘Haritha avagahana padayatra’ on Thursday in Mahbubabad, lauded Saleema’s relentless determination to fight for preserving the environment. She also walked along with Saleema for some distance. Speaking on the occasion, Ms Meena said, “What Saleema has undertaken is not an easy task. She is an inspiration to all of us.
Superstitions like holding frog marriages, varada pasham, varuna yagam etc do not bring rains. Planting more trees will definitely help in bringing rains. We all must take it as a responsibility to plant more trees and oppose felling of trees,” she said. Saleema, who would campaign in 21 villages of Mahabubabad during the first phase of her yatra, said preserving the environment does not mean just the planting of a sapling. We need to plant trees every day and preserve trees and create more awareness among the people about the importance of trees.
“There must be 33 per cent greenery on earth, but we are not maintaining that ratio. According to the worldwide survey conducted by the climate reality project, only Canada has more number of trees per person ratio at 8,953. In Russia it is 4,461, in America, it is 716, it is 102 in China but shockingly in India, there are only 28 trees person in India. This places our country in a dangerous position when it comes to environmental balance,” she said.
