Daripalli Ramaiah
Credit: X/@kishanreddybjp
Hyderabad: Padma Shri awardee Daripalli Ramaiah, widely known as 'Vanajeevi' Ramaiah or 'Chettu' (Tree) Ramaiah, passed away at his residence in native village Reddypalli in Khammam on Saturday morning due to cardiac arrest. He was 87.
Ramaiah dedicated his life to environmental conservation, personally planting at least one crore saplings since 1960. His trees can be found in over 2,000 schools across the region. The Centre recognised his extraordinary contributions by awarding him the Padma Shri in 2017.
Though Ramaiah completed only primary education, he understood from childhood that trees are essential to human progress. Initially, he planted saplings to commemorate the birth and death anniversaries of great personalities before expanding to full-scale cultivation.
He composed approximately 60 songs and over 2,000 aphorisms highlighting the importance of trees. Despite facing ridicule early in his mission, he remained steadfast in his commitment to creating green forests.
Wearing a tree-shaped placard, Ramaiah campaigned with the slogan "Vruksho Rakshati Rakshitah" (One who protects trees is protected by them) until his final days. He was known for gifting plants to visitors and meticulously collecting seeds according to seasons.
Ramaiah firmly believed that the country needed citizens willing to "uproot rocks to grow trees" and advised every mother to have her children plant three saplings.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy stated that Ramaiah strongly believed human survival is impossible without nature and environment. The Chief Minister praised how Ramaiah began his plantation efforts as an individual yet influenced society at large, inspiring youth through his lifelong dedication to environmental protection. Reddy described his passing as "an irreparable loss to society" and extended deep sympathies to the bereaved family.
BRS supremo K. Chandrashekar Rao called Ramaiah's life an inspiration for future generations, highlighting his transformation into "Vanajeevi" to nurture and protect trees. He acknowledged Ramaiah's extraordinary sacrifices in his lifelong environmental mission as unmatched in human conservation efforts globally. Rao also recalled Ramaiah's significant contributions to the Telangana Government's flagship afforestation programme, "Haritha Haram," which aimed to enhance greenery across the state.
Former Rajya Sabha member B Santosh Kumar proposed renaming the Khammam–Manuguru road as "Vanajeevi Ramaiah Marg" to honour Ramaiah's efforts in planting trees along an 8-kilometre stretch from Khammam to Reddypalli.