KOLKATA: Those who often find excuses to chop trees that create some sort of trouble for them should take a lesson from this small-time trader in the Golf Green area. Raju Shome, the tea stall owner, has been keeping a strict vigil over the well-being of two trees he had planted around his stall. While one of the trees is an eight-year old Krishnachura, the other one, a Bakul, was planted in 2018 when Shome himself collected the sapling during an afforestation drive in Golf Green.
Shome still remembers the day (May 20, 2020) after mighty Amphan had wreaked havoc on the greenery of Golf Green area. “To my horror, I found scores of full-grown trees lying uprooted. Then I found my Bakul leaning dangerously. I made it a point to save it at all costs. Today, I feel satisfied that it is not only still alive but growing,” Raju said. However, the tendency among a section of businessmen to chop trees sometimes pains the tea vendor. “It is really painful to watch a tree being chopped for small monetary gains,” he said.
Raju’s empathy for trees and constant care for them have not gone in vain. The trees in return are giving him and his customers the much sought-after shade in the scorching heat of summer. “In fact, I must admit that because of the presence of a couple of full-grown trees around my shop, I get more customers than my competitors in the area.
Sarbari Chatterjee, a college student and a regular at the stall, said; “Efforts that Raju-da has taken are commendable and eye-opener for us all,” Chatterjee said.
Tapan Dasgupta, the local Trinamool councillor, lauded Raju’s efforts. “We can plant saplings to enhance greenery in a neighbourhood. If citizens like Raju come forward and take care of the saplings out of a sense of belonging, the plantation drive becomes a people’s movement,” said Dasgupta.
