THENI: The scorching sun in the summer of 1998 was unkind to S Pandi. Memories flitted through his mind as he sat above the Venkatachalapathi temple on the hilltop of Thamaraikulam. All the 45-year-old could recollect was his pleasant childhood days spent at the 600-year-old temple. The sacred premises had, however, turned into a den for the men, liquor, and cards.
For namesake, a priest conducted poojas. But devotees disappeared as nobody wanted to worship there. “Why can’t we revive the temple to its former glory?” the founder of the Vizhuthukal Youth Club thought. It was then he began cleaning up the area, planting seeds, and watering them daily. He then moved on to growing tree saplings.
“Students joined me with the work. The devotees started worshipping Venkatachalapathi again and the anti-social elements never returned. Everyone appreciated my efforts, and it is this energy that motivates me,” he adds.Nearly 25 years later, Periyakulam has become a shelter for birds and animals thanks to the group. Vizhuthukal Secretary T Sangili Durai and Pandi’s friend said the group had planted over 5,000 trees on the temple premises.
Pandi, a Class 12 pass, always believed in Gandhi’s idea that the earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not every man’s greed. It is with this grit that the nature lover started the Vizhuthukal group. Pandi, Durai, and his volunteers commenced work to eradicate plastic in forests and tourist spots, and raise awareness on protecting the environment. “In 2017, we got recognised by the Nehru Yuva Kendra, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Development,” Pandi said.
Within a year, NYK acknowledged the group’s selfless service and gave them the ‘District Youth Club Award’ with a prize of Rs 25,000. They used the amount to construct two toilets at Agamalai, a tribal hamlet where girls were often abused while attending nature calls. Collector Pallavi Paldevi lauded them on Independence Day that year.
For their work at the temple, the group also received Rs 30,000 from Swachh Bharat funds. “With this amount our savings, we desilted the Thamarai kulam’s kanmoi (traditional irrigation tank),” said the secretary. Though they cleared five kg of plastic from it, the district administration failed to strengthen the banks to increase capacity. The group then turned to legal measures to protect the ecosystem.
“We approached the District Judicial Magistrate Court who then ordered the administration to carry out the work at Thamarai Kulam and prevent the sewage from mixing in the Kanmoi,” said Durai.
Their efforts did not stop there. “Over 60,000 acres in Varusanadu — where the Vaigai originates — is being encroached. The river, once perennial, had turned seasonal,” says Durai. Pandi went on to file a case at the HC praying for orders to remove the encroachments.
However, not everyone took the group seriously. As Durai said, “Initially, they thought we were just planting trees and watering unnecessary things. Once they began reaping the benefits, residents and town panchayats started helping us.”
M Tamil Arasan (20), a volunteer who pursues his degree in Botany, said around 30 school students are part of Vizhuthukal. “I was inspired by Pandi and Sangili anna. Six years ago, during a clean-up drive at a forest area, our members and a forest department staff spotted an injured deer. We treated its wound and provided it food and water. Within a few days it recovered. This encouraged me to take up Botany. Whatever I study will be applied in safeguarding the environment,” he said.
Vizhuthukal is now on a mission to grow trees on the National Highway along Periyakulam which spans 16 km. Armed with an official order, the volunteers will soon start their new mission and usher in 100 fruit-bearing trees on both sides of the road.