PERAMBALUR: The lockdown has brought to the fore heartwarming tales of strangers helping the destitute and migrants, cops helping pregnant women, animal lovers taking care of strays and the like. Add to the list two-class eight students who returned to their school to water recently planted saplings that otherwise would have withered under the harsh summer sun.
Government High School at Sengunam has 96 students and had carried out sapling plantation drive last year. From March the campus has been locked and there was no one to tend to the saplings. Fearing that the saplings they so lovingly planted might die, class eight students B Jeeva and K Karunakaran returned to school on Wednesday to water them.
Jeeva said, "During agriculture period, our teacher took us to campus and told us about the benefits of planting saplings. They also explained the benefits of growing trees. During school hours, along with teachers we used to water the saplings daily but could not ever since lockdown was imposed."
Karunakaran added, "With restrictions relaxed, we saw a chance to water the saplings and jumped at the opportunity"
Kumar Ayyavu, an environmental activist, accompanied the children to the school. "It has been more than a year since the saplings were planted. The students and teachers took good care of them. It would worry everyone if those saplings were to wither due to the summer. So I went with the boys to ensure they don't wither. As long as the lockdown continues, we will water the saplings."