Nayagarh: Trees are our closest friends and what they exhale, we inhale for our survival, said Baba Abinash Dash who has turned a 54-acre of barren land on Baradayini hill of Nachhipur panchayat under Dasapalla block into a lush green forest.
He begs from people to meet the expenses of conserving the forest.
Dash, who has dedicated his life to conservation and plantation of trees, said despite his bachelorhood he has thousands of children in the shape of trees whom he loves more than his kin. The dying trees also get new lease of life getting the touch of Dash, said locals.
About 40 years back, the hill was full of flora and fauna. But the timber mafia denuded it. Since then, Dash has made the barren hill his home and started taking care of it by putting up a hut. In a few years, he managed to turn the hill green drawing the attention of the mafia. Dash even sustained severe injuries when he resisted the mafia but he didn’t give in. His consistent resistance has now kept the mafia away from the forest for the past several years.
While the hill is spread across 200 acre, the green crusader has planted various trees, especially medicinal plants, on 54 acre. He has a strong liking for jackfruit, so he has raised several good varieties of the fruit in the forest. People also call him Panas Baba (Jackfruit Baba) due to his fondness for the fruit.
Since maintaining such a huge patch is a daunting task, Dash appointed some farm hands to take care of the trees. He begs from people by visiting nearby villages to pay the workers. The villagers ensure the safety of the forest when Das leaves for begging.
On the other hand, many tourists also visit the hill to see the wonder created by the green crusader.
Dash is upset for the fact that there is an acute scarcity of water on the hill. Though he had approached the district administration as well as the local political leaders to facilitate water for the trees, it has not yielded results so far, rued Dash.
He is of the view that the administration should clean the unwanted growth and plant only medicinal plants so that the students of ayurveda can carry out research work. However, the administration is yet to respond to the proposal.
Though Das has received a few awards like Prakrutimitra and Prakruti Bandhu, he said they don’t carry much meaning for him. He wants to spend the remainder of his life among trees, added Dash.
The dedication of Baba Abinash Dash is truly an example for others, said locals.