The land by the side of the NSS Karayogam office on the Nediyathupadi road at Pennukkara Thekke in Ala grama panchayat, near Chengannur, once hosted a sacred grove (Madampurathe Modiyil Kavu), a place of worship where people used to light a lamp.
The practice somehow came to a halt a couple of decades ago. Following this, weeds filled the land and it became a haven for antisocial elements. Later the place was turned into a dumping site, resulting in the destruction of the grove, groundwater depletion and pungent stench.
Now, a temple priest, a pastor and a couple of others, with the support of local residents, are on a mission to restore the biodiversity of the place. After clearing the four cents, they planted saplings of some 45 fruit and medicinal trees on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5 under the aegis of the Kalpakavadi Kavu Samrakshana Samiti, Pennukkara.
Mini-forest
Harikrishna Bharathi, temple priest and secretary of the samiti, says their aim is to recreate a mini-forest where the sacred grove once stood.
“Several years ago, a lightning strike destroyed trees at the grove. It was later turned into a dump yard. As part of restoring its glory, the land was cleared of undergrowth and we removed all kinds of waste including liquor and plastic bottles before planting the saplings. We are not planning to make it a place of worship again. The place has been rechristened Kalpakavadi. Our aim is to transform the place by growing a lot of trees so that birds can make a comeback and children can spend and enjoy their time eating fruits,” says Mr. Bharathi.
Pastor P.C. John says all religions advocate for environmental protection. “It is important to protect our environment. This is a joint effort and I am happy to be part of it,” the pastor says.
Other members of the samiti include Somasekharan Nair (president), Vijayalakshmi (treasurer), among others.
The samiti members launched the work a year ago. The entire cost of clearing the site and saplings had been borne by the members.
Sceptical
Bharathi says the people were initially sceptical about the plan, largely due to the belief associated with sacred groves.
“A few others thought we were going to encroach upon the place. But we were able to make them understand the importance of restoring and protecting the biodiversity of the place. The entire community later joined us in our efforts,” the priest says.
Terming it a replicable model, V.K. Sobha, president, Ala grama panchayat, says the Kalpakavadi will be protected by including it in the Pachathuruthu project of Haritha Keralam Mission.
