The unheard and hereto never before seen lock-down has brought into focus the opportunities that are available when the whole nation is at rest. With the peace and quiet that came with the lock-down, much work was done by us in the field of tree planting and de-weeding. Special permission and letter was obtained from the Collector of Coimbatore and on most of the days we were able to carry out regular work while following all precautions.
Watering of the little saplings was done with great regularity in our plantations at Bharathiyar University by workers. Our own staff helped to water the 16 trees planted in Race Course and also the saplings at Gandhi School. The jail inmates took care of the plantation within the prison premises and in Anna University, the staff and our workers took care of the plantation. Our ‘Hope Vanam’ which was kick-started in May, at Ondipudur Railway premises is a model project incorporating both tree planting and wetlands development. It is a pilot project aimed at creating a sustainable sewage treatment solution for the wastewater flowing near the site.
It is of immense pride and satisfaction that on most days our work went on unhindered. Mother Earth took care and ensured that her works went on smoothly in-spite of the severe restrictions and checking.
Work was stopped briefly at our percolation pond site in the CRPF campus. It has since resumed and at this period in mid June, 90% of the work has been completed. It was also a period during which lot of repair works was done. Drip lines were rectified in numerous places. Since there was no hectic rush and time was available, a more efficient and systematic method was adopted by us to repair and make our plantation sites more green.
The pandemic has taught us some unforgettable lessons that we will do well to learn. In terms of economic losses, it is impossible to arrive at any number. Suffice it to say that we will feel this impact long afterwards. In Terms of giving planet earth a rest and rejuvenation, this lock-down has been a boon. It was forced upon us and so it is with good cheer and gratitude that we are making the best of it.
Post lock-down, at the time of writing this editorial, the play of the virus is at its worst. Everyday the number of cases is rising up. Living in such extremely volatile conditions, we humans must make drastic changes in our life-style to ensure our safety. While work must go on, we must not let our guard down and must ensure all standard operating procedures are in place.
– Vanitha Mohan
