Mysuru, May 28 -- He has been transforming dry slopes of Karighatta into green sanctuaries

Y. Ramesh, a 48-year-old resident of Srirangapatna, has been quietly transforming the dry slopes of Karighatta into green sanctuaries for over a decade.

Ramesh's motivation? A haunting fire he witnessed in 2012 that ravaged forest land - man-made, avoidable and devastating. That moment lit a resolve in Ramesh to dedicate his life to planting trees, rain or shine, recognition or not.

In the last 12 years, Ramesh has planted over 3,500 saplings, with more than 3,000 surviving - many now towering at 15-20 feet. Working solo, carrying water cans for a living and watering saplings on the side, his effort is as rooted in humility as it is in ecological...