COIMBATORE: On a windy September morning, two peacocks sashayed along a lush plot of land with narrow brown walkways complementing the verdant hues of an Open Space Reservation (OSR) in Coimbatore.
What once used to be a dumpyard for several years is now home to some 500 native species of trees and plants, all thanks to Thenmozhi Mohankumar (48), a diploma graduate who devoted her time to transforming the dump site at Balasubramaniam Nagar in Peelamedu into a useful and beautiful herbal garden/park.
A native of Chennimalai, Erode, Thenmozhi moved to Coimbatore only two years ago with her family for her daughters’ schooling. Seeing the piece of land opposite her home littered with garbage, Thenmozhi sprung to action in no time and within 1.5 years, the city was gifted a stunning herbal haven.
Looking back, Thenmozhi says she feels elated that the residents who once opposed her work, came around and have embraced the garden as their own.
“To many residents, it came as a surprise to see the barren land clean and transformed. They eventually began segregating their waste and disposing it with the help of corporation workers. Now, no one dumps waste in the open,” she says.
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Stating that the locals now use the garden for their morning and evening walks, Thenmozhi says students and children from the neighbouring areas also frequent the garden to learn about the different varieties of plants and trees here.
She also recalls how some residents were cautious about peacocks flocking around and spoiling their plants and crops. Ever since the garden was set up, we started feeding the peacocks by keeping water and grains in one spot, which prevents them from damaging the plants and crops, she adds.
Today, there are about 500 varieties of plants and trees such as Agarwood (Akil), Benzoin (Sambrani), camphor, a rainforest tree Ailanthus triphysa (Mattipal), stone apple varieties (ko-vilvam and eka vilvam) with rare medicinal plants, and rare fruit varieties such as Ayanipala (wild jack), Mul Seetha (soursop), Seemai Elanthai (jujuba fruit) native to the Western Ghats.
All these exotic plants are maintained in a natural way and are extra special to this garden, says Thenmozhi, who has a background in farming as well.
“Since I hail from a farming family, I have a keen interest in gardening and I have been collecting and growing rare and exotic plants for a long time now and the park is only an extension of that,” she says.
It took one strong-willed Thenmozhi who lives in a rented house to take over the barren land and breathe life into it – something that the native residents who live in their own houses in the area couldn’t do.
Thenmozhi, however, credits educationist CR Swaminathan as her mentor and says the park has been set up in his memory, adding that she is able to maintain it only with the help of volunteers.
“Initially, around 170 saplings were planted with a drip-irrigation system and a fence around the entire park, with the help of an environmental organisation Siruthuli. CR Swaminathan’s sister Kamalam, his nephew Vikram, CRI and Mahendra Pumps also contributed towards the maintenance cost of the park. Whatever plants, parts of vines, fruits and vegetables are cultivated here, we give it to the residents. There’s a WhatsApp group consisting of residents from the area for holding related discussions,” says Thenmozhi.
The 69-year-old Jayapalaswamy, a frequent visitor, says none of them thought that the place would get such a wonderful facelift. “It is all Thenmozhi’s remarkable work. This park is a symbol of change,” he says.
Thenmozhi who intends to return to her native after her daughters’ studies are completed, says, “I am confident now that the residents will take care of the garden even when I’m gone. Wherever I go, I will continue to create gardens and green spaces useful to society,” says Thenmozhi.
(Edited by Lisa Anthony)