Puri: You don’t always need massive resources to fight global warming.
Ask Biswajit Parida of Bolakana village in Delang block of Odisha’s Puri district. An environment activist, his weapons to fight global warming and protect the environment are as modest as they can get: plant a tree and ride bicycle.
Parida, who has won numerous awards for his efforts to protect the environment, said he started planting trees on roadsides five years ago. “Planting trees is not difficult, but you have to water them for a long time and protect them from animals till they grow big,” he said.
He is a known face in his area and beyond, going around on a bicycle, with a board ‘Plant a tree to protect the environment’, planting saplings, taking care of trees already planted, fencing them and spreading the message among others, among villagers, in schools and anganwadis.
Whether he is invited to a wedding ceremony or other public event, he always carries a sapling gift. Whoever he meets, he asks them to plant a tree and also gifts them saplings.
The green activist has been doing his bit to save our planet almost singlehandedly, without any salary or aid, through his Save the Earth Foundation.
Parida, who has won several awards for his efforts to protect the environment, said he plans to ride his bicycle from Delang to Delhi to spread awareness and ask people to plant trees.
