Tamil Nadu: Going the extra mile for a greener tomorrow

TIRUCHY: In the heart of Southern Railway’s Golden Rock workshop in Ponmalai, where the hum of machinery and the clang of tools are a daily rhythm, a technician’s hands tell a story of transformation that extends far beyond the mechanical world. KC Neelamegam, a senior technician, whose hands are accustomed to greasing machinery and handling railway spare parts, are equally skilled at nurturing the earth. Since 1989, Neelamegam has been using his break hours and holidays to organise workshops and plantation drives.

During the break, with pots of water carefully balanced on his bike, he traverses the city, ensuring that his green offspring receive the nourishment they need to grow and flourish. Often referred to as ‘Tiruchy’s green warrior’, Neelamegam has planted over 3,000 saplings at various places in Tiruchy which have grown into big trees. The green warrior never misses a chance to spread awareness on protecting the environment by conducting workshops in most of the educational institutions in the district.

“I never fix a target; I continue planting as many saplings as possible. Earlier, I used to do all of this alone but over the years many residents are supporting me by watering the saplings planted near their homes and joining my plantation drives,” he says with a sense of accomplishment.

On the day of his wedding ceremony, in 1997, he displayed his care for nature by distributing various saplings, and seeds for setting up a kitchen garden as a gift to guests, who attended his function. Even now, Neelamegam has not changed his routine and continues his plantation drives, promotion of cloth bags, and workshops on the importance of eco-friendly measures. He is not just limiting his efforts to the plantation drive but is also actively promoting native plants. If he is invited to a wedding, or any other event, he would distribute saplings and seeds for setting up a kitchen garden, in a cloth bag as a gift.

The efforts of this railway worker often surprised many and he has received appreciation from various quarters, including the district administration. He also actively supported the district administration’s efforts to save the Uyyakondan canal from pollution. The green warrior has also worked with youngsters, and sown seed balls at multiple places in the district in the past years. He will retire from railway service next year (May 2025) and wants to be more active in his efforts to protect the green cover after retirement.

“We all have to leave something as our mark in this world. These saplings and trees planted by me will continue as my mark. My family has always supported my efforts to protect nature. I want more people to join the efforts to protect the environment,” he adds.

For residents, Neelamegam is a motivation. “I have seen him many times roaming in his bike through Ponmalai, checking the condition of saplings and trees. This is what I love about him. Many people conduct plantation drives during special occasions and other events. After that, they would not care to nurture the saplings. It’s not just about planting them, but also how you nurture them. If Neelamegam plants a sapling in some location, he will ensure that it will survive. Apart from this, he does all these during his holidays and break hours. How many of us would do something like that?” asked R Balasubramanian, a senior citizen and resident of Ponmalai.

Students who participated in his plantation drives also appreciated the way he explained the need to protect the environment. “Last year, on World Environment Day, we joined his plantation drive. Before starting the drive, he explained to us the need to protect native trees, the importance of rainwater harvesting and avoiding the use of plastic bags. He said that the saplings planted by us will be our mark in this world. He also said that we should continue to make efforts to protect nature by using cloth bags. We all took a pledge to protect the nature. I am sure that his words would have inspired many who attended his workshops. The world needs more people like him,” said Sharanya B, a college student.