Daripalli Ramaiah

{{Infobox person

| name = Darepalli Ramaiah

| image = The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Shri Award to Shri Daripalli Ramaiah, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 30, 2017.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Shri Award to Shri Daripalli Ramaiah, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 30, 2017.

| other_names = Chetla Ramaiah
Vanajeevi Ramaiah

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|07|01|df=y}}

| birth_place = Reddypally, Khammam district, Hyderabad State, India

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|04|12|1937|07|01|df=y}}

| death_place = Khammam, Telangana, India

| nationality = Indian

| known for = Tree conservation

| occupation = Tree conservationist

| alma_mater =

| footnotes =

| website =

}}

Daripalli Ramaiah (also known as Chetla Ramaiah, Vanajeevi Ramaiah; 1 July 1937 – 12 April 2025) was an Indian social worker known for his social forestry initiatives. He is the recipient of the Padma Shri award for the year 2017, for his invaluable contribution to extending tree cover.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/Padma-awards-for-five-from-Telangana-Three-from-AP-also-honoured/article17095001.ece|title=Padma awards for five from Telangana; Three from AP also honoured|newspaper=The Hindu|language=en|access-date=2017-01-27}} He is locally known as 'Chetla Ramaiah', ({{Translation|Trees Ramaiah}}). On a mission to bring back the green cover, he is estimated to have planted more than 100 thousand saplings in and around Khammam district with a thrust on trees that provide shade, fruit-bearing plants, and biodiesel plants with assured benefit to future generations.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/khammams-green-warrior-soldiers-on/article6632031.ece|title=Khammam's green warrior soldiers on|last=Sridhar|first=P.|newspaper=The Hindu|language=en|access-date=2017-01-27}}

Background

Ramaiah was born in [https://localbodydata.com/gram-panchayat-reddypalli-202039 Reddypally village] in Khammam district, Hyderabad State (now in Telangana).{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/lesson-on-vanajeevi-in-school-likely/article19824786.ece | title=Lesson on 'Vanajeevi' in school likely | newspaper=The Hindu | date=8 October 2017 | last1=Sridhar | first1=P. }} He had schooling till 10th standard.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/man-with-a-green-thumb-the-padma-awardee-who-planted-10-million-saplings/story-G2ogX99XWZPUqCcettnFMK.html|title = Man with a green thumb: The Padma awardee who planted 10 million saplings| work=Hindustan Times |date = 29 January 2017}}

Ramaiah died from heart failure at his residence in Khammam, Telangana, on 12 April 2025, at the age of 87.{{cite news | url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/padma-shri-awardee-vanajeevi-ramaiah-dies-at-87-in-telangana-s-khammam-101744434315290.html | title=Padma Shri awardee 'Vanajeevi' Ramaiah dies at 87 in Telangana's Khammam | newspaper=Hindustan Times | agency=PTI | date=12 April 2015 | accessdate=12 April 2015 }}

Career

=Social forestry campaign=

As a campaigner of social forestry for more than five decades, Ramaiah himself could not recall when it all started exactly. He remembered vaguely that as a child, he often saw his mother saving the seeds of vegetable plants for the next growing season. Ever since he was a child, he was collecting seeds of native trees such as Sandalwood, Albizia saman, Ficus religiosa, Aegle marmelos, Neolamarckia cadamba and many more in his mission to cover every barren land with trees.{{fact|date=April 2025}}

Ramaiah believed in seed as the solution to human well-being. "Of all the species that consider the Earth as their home, the most exalted is the human being. He supposedly has intellect, can think, can do and can get things done. Nature has bestowed her choicest blessings on this form of life. Therefore, we have a duty towards nature. Protect the nature; protect everything created by God, for the posterity", said Ramaiah.{{Cite web |date=6 May 2015 |title=How many trees have you planted? |url=http://www.thebetterindia.com/21804/greening-the-earth-daripalli-ramaiah-man-with-a-mission/ |website=The Better India}} He sold his 3 acres of land to buy more saplings and seeds.{{fact|date=April 2025}}

=Modus operandi=

Ramaiah transformed the famous quote "Plant a tree and save a life" into action rather than lecturing the benefits. Locals knew him as a man with pockets full of seeds and who pedalled miles together with an overload of saplings on his bicycle. He truly recognised the need to plant trees to save the environment and desperately planted saplings in each and every barren lot of land he passed by. Sometimes he was accompanied by his wife and children from local schools. Though he never had any formal education, Ramaiah in his pursuit read a great many books on trees and the process of planting trees. He was considered a walking encyclopedia on plants.{{fact|date=April 2025}}

Recognition and awards

The government of Andhra Pradesh gave him special recognition for his relentless drive and contribution towards the country. After the formation of Telangana, he continued to receive support from the Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao's flagship programmes such as Telangana Ku Haritha Hāram (Green Garland). The objective of Haritha Hāram scheme is to increase the green cover from present 24% to 33% of the total geographical area of the state.{{Cite web|url=http://harithaharam.telangana.gov.in/Harithaharam_Home.aspx|title=Haritaharam}}

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Award

1995

|Seva Award

2005

|Vanamitra Award

2015

|National Innovations and Outstanding Traditional Knowledge Award

2017

|Padma Shri