WARANGAL: Md. Saleema, popularly known as ‘Nenusaitham’ Saleema, is determined. Her love for trees and the environment motivated her to embark on a tenacious 183 km march across 21 villages in Mahbubabad in 39 days. Her mission? To create awareness among the people to conserve the environment by planting more saplings and to oppose superstitions followed today to bring rain.
Her message is simple, ‘Planting more trees is the only way to bring good rains’.
Spreading this message through her ‘Haritha avagahana yatra’, the 41-year-old began her gritty march through the villages on November 23 last year and completed her campaign in 21 villages of Mahbubabad mandal.
Sharing her experiences with this correspondent, she said that the support she received during the course of her padayatra was encouraging.
She is satisfied that she completed the yatra and thanked her husband Md Subhani for encouraging her and chalking out the route of her march.
“During the course of this campaign, I have met several types of people. I felt privileged to explain to them about the forest laws against felling of trees and the superstitions for bringing rains. I also explained the rights and responsibilities of common people.
Since the villagers go to work during the daytime, I used to walk between villages during the day and hold awareness meetings with villagers at night with the help of village sarpanches,” Ms Saleema said.
Saleema’s march was not easy. She endured several health issues. Both her knees were swollen with the walking. But, she just got kneecaps and continued her march for trees.
One day, about two kilometres from Lakshmipuram village, she fainted due to low blood pressure. Her husband Subhani rushed to her rescue and said he would take her to the village hospital on his two-wheeler.
“She refused. This campaign meant more to her than her life. I ran to the village and brought an RMP doctor. She got the treatment under a tree, rested for a while, and continued walking,” Mr Subhani recollects.
Saleema is not done yet. She intends to campaign in the entire district.
Ms Saleema is going to begin the next phase of her campaign in Kuravi mandal from January 20.
