Shivamogga: Nowadays, finding a patch of lush greenery in urban areas is next to impossible with concrete forests surrounding us. But this 60-year-old Karnataka man took it upon himself to contribute to nature and increase the green cover in Shivamogga city.
Navyashree Nagesh purchased one-acre land on Shivamogga-Shikaripura highway and created a mini forest - Eshwara Vana - which will not only clean the air but will also help the birds find a better nesting site.
This lush green forest has 30 different varieties of trees and several types of plants to attract people who love greens and also birds as some of the trees are loaded with fruits.
"We humans have destroyed everything in nature. All forests and birds disappeared in the city, so I created Eshwara Vana (Vana is forest) in the name of Lord Shiva. It has more than 300 plants. It is an old concept that preserving and dedicating forests in the name of God. I want to purchase more land in the city for conserving birds and recharge groundwater," Navyashree Nagesh told ANI.
Nagesh's son Dr Sharad told ANI that the cost of the land is around Rs 1 crore and they have not hired any security personnel to guard the forest as they have dedicated the place to Lord Shiva, who is known to protect nature.
"Because of the increasing population, many buildings have been made in Shivamogga. We have not kept any guards here and instead have installed the idol of Shiva to protect the land. We have more than 300 trees here. We hope different birds species will come here in the coming days," Sharad said.
