Hyderabad: Telangana's 'Tree Man' Daripalli Ramaiah, who is said to have planted over one crore trees, was injured in a road accident near Reddigudem in Khammam Rural Zone on Wednesday.
The Padma Shri recipient, who is 85 years old, fell while crossing a road on his bicycle to water the plants. The villagers rushed Ramaiah to a nearby government hospital. Doctors said he had sustained injuries to his right leg and head. Ramaiah is currently being treated in the ICU. Doctors said his health condition is stable.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MP Santosh Kumar spoke to doctors over the phone and enquired about Ramaiah's condition. He directed the hospital authorities to ensure the best possible treatment, IANS reported.
Daripalli Ramaiah (born 1937) is an Indian social worker noted for his social forestry projects. He is also known as Chetla (trees) Ramaiah and Vanajeevi (forest being) Ramaiah.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2017 for his outstanding contribution to increasing tree cover. Chetla Ramaiah, or trees Ramaiah, is his local name. On a goal to restore the green cover, he is thought to have planted around 100,000 saplings in and around Khammam district, with a focus on shade trees, fruit-bearing plants, and Biodiesel plants that will benefit future generations.
(With inputs from ABP Desam — It is a Telugu platform of ABP News. For more news, commentary and latest happenings from two Telugu states, follow https://telugu.abplive.com//amp)