Keeping memory of kin lost to Covid alive by planting saplings

Four deaths in the family in the span of a month had shaken the Agarwal family and they are still trying to recover from the shock

Four deaths in the family in the span of a month had shaken the Agarwal family and they are still trying to recover from the shock.

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While still grieving, Sushil Agarwal received a call from a group of environment enthusiasts last week who invited the family to plant saplings in Sanjay Van of the forest department in memory of their relatives lost to Covid 19.

“It was a unique and indeed a cathartic experience for me, and such events should be held regularly so that the next of kin feel good that those whom they have lost forever to the pandemic, have not been completely forgotten but an effort is being made to keep their memory alive,” said Agarwal.

He said that he planted saplings of guava, buniyan, sweet Neem and one more variety in the memory of his two maternal uncles (Kanhaiya Lal Gupta, S K Agarwal), aunt (Anju Gupta) and Uncle (Kamal Kumar Bhaseen) in Smriti Vatika of Sanjay Van which has been developed as a city forest.

Vinay Asthana, who retired from Daurana Sugar Mill, also attended the event and planted a guava sapling in the memory of his young son who battled the virus for over a month and eventually collapsed after suffering a massive heart attack during recovery. “I planted the sapling in the memory of my son and like to visit it occasionally to see it grow,” said Asthana, whose voice quivered on the phone while sharing his family’s misfortune. Asthan also planted a guava sapling near his house after returning from Sanjay Van.

Sushil and Asthana shared that 30 to 40 persons converged at the Sanjay Van last Wednesday to plant saplings in Smriti Vatika in memory of loved ones lost during the pandemic.

Besides families, the forest department also invited a few nursing staff, ward boys and ward sweepers from LLRM Medical College to plant saplings of their names as Corona warriors.

The initiative was the brainchild of divisional forest officer of Meerut Rajesh Kumar who thought of giving existing ‘Smriti Vatika’ campaign a different and innovative dimension by linking it with the memory of those lost to the pandemic, and to honour Corona warriors who worked hard during pandemic, even risking their lives.

District magistrate of Meerut K Balaji also appreciated the initiative and assured his support and cooperation. He directed officials to look for more vacant places where more such plantations could be carried out. He also planted a Baniyan sapling in the Smriti Vatika.

Divisional forest officer Rajesh Kumar said that the department has demarcated an enclosure as ‘Smriti Vatika’ inside the Sanjay Van and the idea behind inviting family members of Covid-19 victims and Corona warriors together to plant saplings to show respect for them and to add a new dimension in the existing project of ‘Smriti Vatika’.

The DFO said that a similar plantation drive will begin in the rural area from the first week of July, and plans are afoot to invite families from villages to plant saplings in the memory of their lost loved ones. “We will develop similar Smriti Vatika in different rural locations,” said Kumar and added that “It would help forge a bond between flora and people”.

He also appreciated the group of doctors and people who have been promoting plantation through their organisation ‘Haritima’.

The DFO said that the initiative is open for all and people interested in planting a sapling in memory of their beloved can contact him at his office or on mail dfomeerut@gmail.com.