Thursday, April 17, 2008

PGH Festival!

The day was more of a festival than a serious get-together of ‘greenies’ as environmentalists are called these days. I don’t suppose the fact that we had green paint stripes on our faces had anything to do with it! The day began with a formal address by some known public figures. Who spoke, planted a sapling and left us to get our hands dirty, which we were only too happy to do! The first step was to make the soil mixture in specific proportions, some four-tenth fertile soil, almost three-tenth sand/regular soil and upto four-tenths of manure. We formed a human chain passing these balti’s of the soil. Someone kept the count and we started. We were many youngsters, our energies were difficult to keep down so we threw ourselves into everything we did. It was great fun! The one liners, emotions and expressions were too many to all include here. It was a vibrant get-together of people of all ages.

We worked the equivalent of many people each one! I was sitting and plugging away filling sachets for a while when I was called to help with another activity. So I finished what I was doing and went to help right away. We all were there with a single goal, we were completely united by the driving force of our intent. The enthusiasm of each one was engaged in and increased by another. No one sat out, if some one needed to then another gladly took their place. Things were very well organised, why so well? This is a completely volunteer driven effort so everyone took responsibility for everything and according placing themselves wherever necessary to take care of things without any high-ranking bossman types trudging on people. So if at anytime one person moved from a point of responsibility; since this is a volunteer effort one is not bound to stay through the day, they can leave at any time, so if one moved another immediately stood in, it is their responsibility after all.

After helping and doing work around wherever any was needed I found myself at the receiving finished saplings sachets area. We were to receive the finished sachets, unload them from the tray, tap down the soil and sort. This was a really fun part. There was one line which had progressed substantially and a few of us were to begin another line. And begin we did! I placed myself at comfortable place and started! Tapping down the soil and organising them sets of four to be moved to the new row. We were dispatching full trays very quickly and soon we found our row catching up with the other one! Then began a heartening competition among us and the other line! We were stealing supplies of trays between us and persuading the volunteers to place their trays with ours not theirs! We would grab sachets off the trays headed to the other row if we had finished early and waiting for supply.


At this point the little children jointed in to help us! It was so heart-rendering to see the tiny tots running about quickly to bring us finished sachets from their mothers, fathers and others around them. The little children could only carry one sachet at a time so they bring one and go back for another. Sometime they might bring two but it wasn’t easy for them to set it down by themselves, we would take it off their tiny hands .. What happened at one this instance a little girl was bringing us sachets and place them in the basket. As we ran through sorting sachets and the basket started emptying, she started running back and forth! Concerned that the basket was emptying! Soon other tiny tots joined, they brought us a constant supply of sachets! Forming their own chain of tiny-tots. The rival row however did manage to get some of the children to bring them sachets instead of us but it was so lovely to see nonetheless. All of us were so moved by these children, we tried to persuade them to sit for a while and take a breather but they won’t!


After a while a break was announced, of the finished sapling sachets we then seeded them. A group meeting was called after that, we spoke of the progress made and what is to be done looking forward, care of the saplings and the plan for distribution and planting. Post group meeting some went back to preparing saplings and some in clearing and cleaning up the place. I was involved in clearing up the place and sorting out things which were brought for the event. We then loaded things into vehicles and left with good memories and a very happy feeling on our effort to better our environment


-- SRIRAM

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