A 77-year-old man, Rama Chandra Sahu from Odisha, has been the force behind transforming the once barren village roads into lush green swathes.
The dense vegetation on the three roadways connecting his hamlet Kangaon in the Sohela block of Odisha's Bargarh district with adjacent green habitations gives witness to the now-retired teacher's 36-year mission.
Rama Master, fondly known as Sahu in his neighbourhood, has not only been planting saplings along these roadsides but has also been watering them faithfully every morning until they grow tall.
He still cycles to each of those young saplings after fetching water from a nearby pond and filling multiple containers at a time as reported by The Times Of India
Years have gone by. The saplings, which have grown into massive, lush trees, have transformed the once desolate hamlet roadways into undulating green swaths that spread for miles.
Sahu, an enthusiastic ecological activist, maintains the same daily routine.
Reports have mentioned that Sahu and his wife could not have a child but they never let it affect their happiness and instead loved the trees and nurtured them like their own children.
According to Kalinga TV, Sahu was honoured as 'Prakruti Bandhu' and felicitated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and many other organisations for his selfless service towards protecting the environment.
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