| Saalumarada Thimmakka | |
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Saalumarada Thimmakka (Kannada: ಸಾಲುಮರದ ತಿಮ್ಮಕ್ಕ)is an Indian environmentalist from the state of Karnataka, noted for her work in planting and tending to 284 banyan trees along a four-kilometre stretch of highway.[1] Her work has been honoured with the National Citizen's Award of India.
A U.S. environmental organisation based in Los Angeles and Oakland, California called Thimmakka's Resources for Environmental Education is named after her.[2]
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Thimmakka is a native of Hulikal village in the Magadi taluk of Bangalore Rural district in Karnataka. She received no formal education and worked as a casual labourer in a nearby quarry. She was married to Chikkaiah who was a cattle herder but they unfortunately could have no children. It is said that Thimmakka started to plant banyan trees in lieu of children.[3] The name word Saalumarada (of the row of trees in Kannada language) is how she was referred to because of her work.
Ficus (banyan) trees were aplenty near Thimmakka's village. Thimakka and her husband started grafting saplings from these trees. Ten saplings were grafted in the first year and they were planted along a distance of 4 kilometres near the neighbouring village of Kudoor. Fifteen saplings were planted in the second year and 20 in the third year.[4] She used her own meager resources for planting these trees.[3] The couple used to carry four pails of water for a distance of four kilometres to water the saplings. They were also protected from grazing cattle by fencing them with thorny shrubs.
The saplings were planted mostly during monsoon season so that sufficient rain water would be available for them to grow. By the onset of the next monsoons, the saplings had invariably taken root.[4] In total, 284 trees were planted, and their asset value has been assessed at around 1.5 million rupees.[1] The management of these trees have now been taken over by the Government of Karnataka.[3]
For her achievement, Thimmakka has been conferred with the following awards and citations:
Thimmakka's husband died in 1991.[6] Today, Thimmakka is invited to many afforestation programs in India.[1] She has also been involved in other social activity like constructing a tank to store rain water for the annual fair held in her village. She also has a dream of constructing a hospital in her village and a trust has been set up for this purpose.[1]