Wedded to nature, 40-yr-old Bihar plants 8L trees and counting.
- Patna: Gajendra Yadav of Saful Bihar's West Champa ran line district is single by choice, Bid: but a doting 40-year-old father of around 8 lakh trees and plants in and around his native village of Pipra.
- Under pressure from his family that wanted to see him "settle down", Yadav settled for his first love: trees, blooms, birds, bees, butterflies, nature in general. He took the austere and inviolable vow of "Bhishma Pratigya" to never marry and devote his time single- mindedly to planting more saplings and protecting and tending the trees he had planted since 2003.
- The man found his green thumb after being bedridden for two years because of a serious heart ailment. "There was no joy in my life. To break the monotony, I listened to radio programmed and learned about the importance of plants. I took a vow to save the environment if I survived. I did," he said.
- Senior police officer Vi- kas Vaibhav praised him for creating mass awareness in society about environment conservation. "He hasn't even married, so that he could take care of the trees," he said. Yadav's dedication has won him laurels. He has been honored by CM Nitish Kumar, former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and also the state environment and forest department.
- "I would have been just another person with a wife and kids. That would have tied me down, with little time for environment conservation," he said, explaining his hermitlike vow. The eldest of four siblings, he is the only one not to marry.
- Yadav also celebrates festivals with his trees. "I put gulal on them on Holi, light lamps near them on Diwali and tie safety bands on Raksha Bandhan," he said.
- He said he had planted around 8 lakh Trees mostly bar gad (banyan), pedal, poked and neem over the past two decades. His trees- some of which have grown- attract wildlife as well as lumber thieves. But help is close at hand, as a team of 100 youths from neighboring villages keep an eye on the trees and plants. No woodcutter escapes their watch. Some are let off by virtue of an apology and regret, but those re- fusing to mend their ways are reported to authorities.
- "I have registered 30-35 FIRS against woodcutters. I forgave many because I don't want them to become criminals in jail, Yadav said.