Author: Pankaj Jaiswal
Publication: Hindustan Times
Date: June 5, 2009
URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=RSSFeed-News&id=62a58885-de67-4112-823b-52b3559b6af3&
Nineteen years ago, when Mataprasad Tiwari
took to growing trees around his two-acre plot of land, neighbours thought
he had lost his marbles.
Once contemptuously called 'paagal ka khet
(madman's field)', Mataprasad's patch of green - in Meegni village of Jalaun,
200 km south of Lucknow - was soon renamed 'Mataprasad ki bagiya (Mataprasad's
orchard)'.
Among the ravines of Bundelkhand, the orchard
is the only spot of perennial green.
Mataprasad (57) is no recognised environmentalist,
nor is he an earth crusader. He plants trees simply because he loves them.
"Our village used to look barren, I wanted to see it green," he
said.
On the no-man's land surrounding his field,
Mataprasad has grown 30,000 trees. His aim is to plant a lakh before he dies.
There are 1,050 fruit trees - mango, guava,
pomegranate, gooseberry, jack fruit and more. The orchard has varieties of
medicinal trees and shrubs too. Flowers grow in the spaces between the trees.
"To me, it is actually a zoological garden
of sorts… so many beautiful birds, dogs, cats, bees and butterflies have
made the bagiya their habitat," said Mataprasad, who has virtually abandoned
both his land and family for the trees.
He lives an ascetic's life in a hut in the
orchard, cooks his own food and leads a frugal life.
"It is not that I have abandoned my family.
I do meet my wife and children once in a while. But the orchard needs me more."
The family lives off his two-acre land - which
grows maize, mustard, wheat, seasame and vegetables - around which is the
orchard.
The orchard isn't just about growing trees.
It proves how trees can deal with environmental issues. It is a practical
guide for water management/harvesting, soil conservation, employment generation,
organic farming, low-cost farming and agro-forestry.
Till last year, Mataprasad worked on his land
alone. Now, he has six people working on it. All six had no livelihood and
now they get their food from the orchard.
"Soon I will start paying them as well
by selling the produce. From the remaining money, I will plant more trees,"
he said.
