PERAMBALUR: On the outskirts of Perambalur, a line of young trees stands beside a dusty road, each watered by a small plastic bottle hanging from a branch. Not far away, a terrace garden overflows with bottle gourd and spinach growing in reused water cans. At first glance, these may look like ordinary scenes — but they tell the story of two government officers who turned simple ideas into acts of change.
At a time when environmentalists across the country are struggling to find ways to tackle plastic pollution and water scarcity, two government officers from Perambalur district have quietly turned everyday waste into tools of change. Dr P Rajesh Kanna, a government veterinary doctor, and M Kannan, an agriculture officer, have each chosen their own path — one nurturing trees, the other growing food — both united by a simple belief: that small steps can lead to lasting transformation.
For Dr Rajesh Kanna, 45, compassion is not just a word — it’s a way of life. Long before he planted his first sapling, he was already changing lives. In 2003, while still a college student, he founded Indian Uthavum Karangal, a trust that has helped over 1,000 underprivileged students with school essentials, using funds mostly from his own salary and friends’ contributions.
His dream of becoming an IAS officer may not have materialised, but his purpose found new soil. In 2015, he began planting trees — starting with just 50 saplings in Kurumbapalayam village. He watered each one himself, returning daily to check their growth. Soon, villagers and children began joining him, inspired by his quiet persistence.
Over the years, his mission has spread across Perambalur. He has planted trees along roadsides, near ponds, and in open spaces, and even started distributing free saplings to people in other districts through social media. Among the many native species he nurtures are Pungan, Badam, Neem, Puvarasu, Peepal, Banyan, Amla, Tamarind, Jamun, Athi, Iluppai, Echamaram, Magilam, Vilvam, Neermaruthu, and Vengai.
But what truly makes Rajesh’s work stand out is his innovation — turning hospital waste into life-sustaining devices. “I noticed many saplings withering due to lack of water,” he said. “So I began reusing discarded saline bottles. After cleaning them with hot water, I hang them near each sapling.”
This low-cost irrigation idea has helped thousands of saplings survive through dry spells. So far, he has planted and distributed over one lakh saplings and 1,000 vegetable seed packets. Around 20,000 have grown into fully grown trees, many cared for by children who now proudly point to them as “their” trees.
“Being born as a human is a gift from nature,” Rajesh said, his voice calm but firm.
A few kilometres away, M Kannan, 42, an agriculture officer, tends to his own patch of green — right on his terrace. Over the past six years, his roof has turned into a mini-farm, filled with bottle gourd, bitter gourd, snake gourd, long beans, lady’s finger, chillies, and spinach, all growing in reused 20-litre water cans. “I wanted my family to eat food that’s clean and chemical-free,” Kannan said, carefully checking the tendrils of a vine. “We haven’t bought vegetables from the market in years.”
Today, Kannan has helped 15 families set up their own terrace gardens, teaching them how to grow vegetables in small spaces without much cost. Beyond his terrace, he collects fallen seeds and nurtures them into saplings, planting more than 100 native trees such as Konrai, Gulmohar, Pungam, and Neem in public areas across the district.
“Due to the excessive use of chemicals, much of the food we eat today is unsafe,” he said. “Organic gardening not only gives us healthy food but also mental peace. If each person plants just 10 saplings, we can truly protect nature and combat climate change.”
Both officers — one greening the earth, the other greening rooftops — are showing that sustainability doesn’t always need grand plans or government schemes. Sometimes, it just needs a little imagination, a bit of compassion, and a few discarded plastic bottles.
A used saline bottle can save a sapling. An empty water can can feed a family. And together, they can inspire a district to breathe a little cleaner, live a little greener.
(Edited by Subhalakshmi PR)
