8-acre paradise in Pongalur: The story of how a government school teacher built a mini forest 

V Thayammal (75), upon retirement, wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life amidst the lush vibrancy of trees.
Image used for representational purpose only.
Image used for representational purpose only.

TIRUPUR: Amidst heavily publicised plantation drives and green revolution projects, here is one woman quietly contributing to the expansion of green cover in her village. In the confines of Pongalur, this former government-aided school teacher has dedicated her verdant eight-and-a-half acre to hundreds of trees. The moniker Marangalin Thayar (Mother of Trees) is not without cause, you find.

V Thayammal (75), upon retirement, wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life amidst the lush vibrancy of trees. Even before it was time for retirement, she broke her savings (against everyone’s well-intentioned advice to the contrary) to purchase this piece of land and begin the arduous process of cultivation. Now, after years of patience and toil, her land now boasts a huge collection of coconut, forest neem, perumaram, tamarind, marudhamaram, white apple, aathi maram, pomegranate and lemon trees, besides maize, onion, pavazhamalligai and a few medicinal plants.

Residing in Solipalayam, she now frequently visits her land to check on her trees. This is the one thing that brings her peace amidst a fast-moving life, she says. Thayammal recalls how all her colleagues had advised against investing money on agricultural land. However, it was the support of her husband Narayanasamy (now deceased) that helped her stick to the plan and fulfil her dream, she explains. The coconut trees (numbering at 310) along bringing her an income of Rs 6 lakh per annum through the sale of the fruits.

The villagers who once told her it was a bad idea would now be eating their words, she remarks. However, it has not been all smooth sailing to develop the land and make it profitable. She first had to equip herself with information on growing and nurturing trees. She talks about how she went through every book on trees she could find in her school library. When the district witnessed unprecedented drought a couple of years ago, the wells in her land too dried up.

She had to spend nearly Rs 1 lakh to bring in water to keep the trees alive. Later, she pooled in nearly Rs 4 lakh to construct a well and install pipes for drip irrigation, in an effort to combat future hard times. Now a member of the NGO Vanathukul Tirupur, she works towards increasing the green cover in the district. Thayammal ardently believes that trees have the power to curse the one who chops them down. So when she offers relocation as an alternative solution, you know she is not just looking out for the welfare of her green friends.

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