City Kemp News
Environmentalist and resident of Koramangala 7th Block T R Sivaram Iyer celebrated his 80th birthday by planting hundreds of flowering plants at the Cartman Eco Park in Koramangala 6th Block on July 8.
Besides this, an intensive cleaning drive of the Cartman Eco Park was carried out on this occasion.
Earlier in the day, a function was held at the Edneer Math Hall adjacent to Sri Krishna Temple where Rajam Ramaswamy, wife of Late Prof N S Ramaswamy and Rajani (daughter) blessed Mr & Mrs Iyer on the occasion.
It was the decision of Prof Ramaswamy to make the park into a mini forest and Iyer is putting all his efforts to make his dream come true.
When somebody asks Iyer about his age, he with a smile face says I am eighteen only. Iyer visits the park everyday without fail. He is the person who took care and nurtured the plants for the past several years all under the guidance of Prof Ramaswamy.
Any tree planting initiative taking place in and around Koramangala, Sivaram would be there. Koramangalites know him as he is one of the earliest residents.
Prof Ramaswamy’s yeomen service to the society and Iyer’s sincerity and dedication to the environment has created one more small but sure way Koramangalites enjoy fresh lung air in a congested IT sub-urb.
Sivaram’s passion for plants and trees attracted him to the Cartman Eco Park. Iyer has voluntarily taken up the responsibility of the park and ever since has subtly changed the face of it.
Rain or shine, Iyer visits the Cartman Eco Park everyday in the morning for several hours at his age of 80 and oversees planting and maintenance of the trees and plants besides the other activities at the park.
When City Kemp visited the park last year around same time, Iyer was seen planting the pink lilly bulbs and today they are in full bloom
He attributes his health and cheerfulness to the time he spends at the Eco Park with the vast number and species of trees, plants and flowers which he cares and nurtures.
An agriculturist by birth, Sivaram grew coconuts and vegetables. Studied in Kerala and Bangalore and comes from a family of social workers and community sensitive people. Worked with IISC Tata Group and quit the same in his early fifties and worked in the LCA project inspired by Atal Bihari Vajpayee slogan of self reliance. Later he quit that job also. After that he was there for a stint in politics as the Organising Secretary of the Praja Socialist Party decades ago. Finally he left all this to do voluntary work as corporate life was not aiding his long mission to work on eco sensitive issues and projects which he is passionate about. Has been practicing organic and biofarming and is a real green thumb, besides he inspires elders and children alike to work on greening.
With a small garden at his home and also clean surroundings, he encourages many a residents to practice his green habits. Last word. A simple and down to earth person Sivaram Iyer says “We can create heaven on earth”.
