Fruits, medicinal plants attract visitors to Madikeri radio station

The All India Radio station (AIR) in Madikeri is not only broadcasting various programmes to furnish information on agriculture and entertainment to its listeners but also is spreading a message on the environment.

The vacant land on the premises of AIR in Madikeri is filled with fruit-bearing plants and medicinal plants, thanks to the efforts of AIR programme executive Dr Vijay Angadi who took the initiative to plant saplings on the premises of AIR station and thus increased the green cover in the area.

Vijay has 27 years of experience and had served in the AIR station at Hassan. He was transferred to Madikeri two-and-a-half years ago. After he joined for work, he started planting saplings.

He has planted 85 varieties of plants and is nurturing them as well. He only uses a crowbar to plant the saplings. He waters them in the morning.

The vacant land in the surrounding of the AIR building was surrounded by weeds with a lack of maintenance. Vijay himself cleared all the weeds to plant the saplings.

During his visit to interior villages for interviewing farmers for the radio programme, he would purchase saplings and grow them in the AIR station premises. The fruit-bearing saplings will yield fruits within a few months.

Dr Vijay has planted coconut, varieties of banana, pineapple, hibiscus, ginger, orange, heliconia, sugarcane, ornamental banana, tapioca, sweet potato, butter fruit, coffee, pepper, dragon fruit, lily flowers, ‘Kanagale’, ‘Devakanagale’, rose, chilli, clove, rudrakshi, jackfruit, cashew nut, vanilla, water apple, miniature anthurium, Ashoka, kokum, orchid and so on.

In addition, medicinal plants like lemongrass, turmeric, sada pushpa, Chakramuni, curry leaves, madhu nashini, Jeshta madhu, ondelaga, araroor, Amritaballi, Insulin plant and others are also planted by him.

Vijay said, “When I visit rural areas, I collect the husk of arecanut and use the same as manure for the plants. I nurture the plant with love. About 80 lemongrass plants were planted last year. The lemon grass can be used for juice. All the medicinal plants that I have planted are useful. I have planted saplings in Akashavani quarters as well.”

The vacant land was utilised effectively for planting the saplings.

“I have planted saplings to increase the green cover. I want to document the use of all the plants that were planted on the premises of Akashavani,” he adds.

AIR station head Srinivas said, “Vijay Angadi is a nature lover. He not only broadcasts programmes related to agriculture but also plants saplings. I feel happy looking at his love and concern for nature.”