At a time when the world is battling the effects of climate change a ‘love story’ between humans and trees in Chhattisgarh’s Durg District is catching everyone’s attention.
Residents of Pisegaon, situated on the banks of Shivnath River have a unique bond with trees, which is resulting in successful afforestation in the village.
The people of this village plant a tree in memory of their deceased loved ones and name the trees after them.
Some consider the tree planted by them as their spouse, while others see them as their parents.
The villagers visit these trees daily, talk to them, worship them, and even hug them, sharing their feelings and problems.
They spend hours sitting near these trees, feeling the presence of their family members whom they have lost.
One such story is of Kumari Bai Deshmukh (55). She planted a Neem tree in memory of her late husband Kanhaiya Lal and considers it her husband.
She visits the tree to worship it every morning. Sitting near the tree and talking to it makes her feel the presence of her late husband.
Madhu Deshmukh lost her mother Lakshmi Deshmukh in her childhood. When Madhu grew up she came to Pisegaon after getting married. One day she came to know about this unique tradition and she planted a Madhukamini sapling in the memory of her mother. Now it has grown big and is a source of comfort to Madhu.
Prerna Sahu, another villager, said, "I had observed my uncle planting trees here since fourth grade. Over time, I also started planting trees myself, dedicating some to my late family members."
She visits the trees daily, worships them, and takes the time to sit and enjoy the surroundings.
"Tampering with the environment poses a threat to humankind. We are destroying forests and not making enough efforts to plant trees. Even though many state governments plant a large number of trees, the lack of proper care means that the trees won't survive. It is mandatory to provide proper care after planting trees" said another villager Satish Singh.
"Till now more than a thousand people have planted saplings. And they are also taking care of them regularly", he informed.
As a result of this awareness on the need to care for saplings after plantation and due to the novel tradition of planting a tree in the name of lost loved ones, Pisegaon’s afforestation drive is a huge success and earning the villagers laurels.
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