Wanting to cash in on the monsoon and tired of breathing in dust-laden air, some of us in B Block decided to turn some green (money) into what is truly green. Anita Soni (B9), Anita Rathee (B63) and “Slim Homes”, pooled in some cash and bought twenty saplings of Tecoma and fifty of “Parda bel” from a nearby Nursery along with eight bags of manure. With an additional 45 saplings (Hibiscus and Hamelia) from MCG, we started a plantation drive along the B Block service lane. With this, three maalis and three spirited ladies, one of them a botanist, set about changing the barren landscape, albeit a small fraction of it. The maalis toiled away laboriously while we ladies ensured they were well-fed and hydrated. With the first 45 saplings in place by the end of the day, we felt we were finally on our way after the initial hiccups.
However, we were in for a shock the next day when we found, much to our dismay, that around 20 saplings had been stolen. We created quite a stink about it with the guards who were sitting on duty just across the plantation. Concurrently, a mango tree, newly planted by a resident of the lane of B 84, also got swiped and the thieving incident was caught on camera. The following morning the Supervisor of the Guard Agency spoke with me and told me that the saplings had been eaten by buffaloes. I retorted that he should not demean my intelligence by asking me to believe this cock and bull story! It was unimaginable to believe that buffaloes would be picky enough to eat and uproot the newly planted saplings so neatly, leaving the leafier foliage untouched! Dinesh Arora rightly pointed out that monetary compensation should be levied against the Guard agency.
Undeterred, we went ahead and planted the Tecoma and “parda bel”. However, the thieves are also made of a strong mettle and again pinched some of our saplings. What they do not know, is that we are made of sterner stuff.
