JAGTIAL : When a tree is felled for development, the story usually ends there. For Sunkisala Sattaiah, it begins anew. The 52-year-old from Itkyala village in Raikal mandal has become an unexpected guardian of green cover, giving a second life to trees marked for removal.
A lifelong nature lover, Sattaiah has replanted nearly 40 felled trees in and around his village; 38 have survived and are thriving. Most are peepal and banyan, aged between 20 and 25 years. Once a toddy tapper, he took up this mission on his own, identifying government land vulnerable to encroachment and turning it into Ganga Devi Park. The area around a local stream now carries renewed green vitality. Seeing his commitment, local donors and the gram panchayat have stepped in with support, offering tractors, JCBs and trucks for the translocation work. As a gesture of thanks, contributors’ names are displayed on plates affixed to each tree.
Sattaiah worries about the relentless felling of decades-old trees for road widening and other projects. “Instead of cutting them down, if we translocate the trees, new roads and parks will look lush and remain healthy for the environment,” he tells TNIE, urging the government to promote tree translocation, saying it would reduce conflicts and create employment.
Through festivals, birthdays and weddings, he has motivated villagers to plant more than 8,000 saplings so far.