Even at the age of 110, Karnataka’s Saalumarada Thimmakka’s life-long commitment and love for trees has not reduced. Awarded Padma Shri in 2019, she is fondly called Vruksha Maathe (Mother of trees) and has so far managed to plant and grow more than 8,000 trees, helping to reduce carbon dioxide and global warming.

The efforts of Thimmakka along with that of her husband Chikkaiah is evident on the stretch Hulikal to Kudor near Ramanagara district – part of the highway – with shady and tall trees on either side.

Interestingly, Thimmakka who belongs to the Gubbi Taluk in Tumkur, has never attended school and started working as a labourer very young. At the age of 12 she married Chikkaiah, from Hulikal village of Ramanagara district.

Unfortunately, the couple could have any children and to find solace for their sorrow they started planting saplings and taking care of them as their own. Every year they increased the number they planted.

Splitting the work between themselves, while Chikkaiah dug the pits, Thimmakka carried pots filled with water for those saplings. To protect these plants, they fenced them with thorny shrubs. They bought pots and other things required for planting the trees from their earnings.

Even though she lost her husband in 1991, Thimmakka after getting over her grief continued with their mission with more vigour.

Among the several national and international awards bestowed on Thimmakka are Karnataka Government’s Kannada Rajyotsava Award; Honorary Doctorate by Central University, Karnataka; Nadoja Award by Hampi University; Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award; and Karnataka Kalpavalli Award. In 2016, BBC listed her as one of the most influential and inspirational women of the world.

The crusader for greenery continues to work and motivate youngsters to take forward what she and her husband started.