[Lapg] Abdul Kareem’s Desert Oasis

[Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson]

Abdul Kareem's Desert Oasis http://www.gvnr.com/107/1.htm

Through perseverance and dedication a thirty-two acre plot of land near the 
village of Puliamkulam in the Kasargod district of India has been 
transformed from a barren and desert landscape in to a lush and flourishing 
forest that's not only brought life to this once arid area but has given 
the soil the stability required for a water table to form.

Using his savings earned from his working in various jobs across India 
Abdul Kareem has single handedly created his own forest. Buying a five-acre 
area of land in 1977 when returning to his place of birth in the Kasargod 
region of India Abdul began planting what has now become a thriving forest. 
Local land owners who had little use for what they thought to be unfertile 
land were more than willing to sell of parts of the hillside who's 
potential Abdul alone could see. "I would walk around the area and see 
barren hill sides," he says. "It was a heartache of a sight and yet the 
pull on me was strong. I suddenly realised that I had often, though only 
for brief moments, dreamt of the Kaavu of India's collective memory. They 
were the Sacred Groves that every village had once upon a time. I had been 
told of them as a child. I think I had sub consciously yearned for one."

For three years Abdul spent his summers ferrying water to the hillside in 
cans strapped to his motorbike as the small well situated on the land was 
unable to put up with the increasing demand. Becoming the laughing stock of 
the local community did not deter Abdul and in his third year of work on 
the forest his tenacity paid off, the water level in the well began to 
rise. This initial success caused by the solidity the tree's brought to the 
soil rapidly snowballed, the news foliage provided a heaven for birds who 
inadvertently brought new verities of seeds to the area. Now the forest, 
though still growing is immense and due to Abduls resolution that people 
stick to the designated pathways has become dense and wild.

Never weeding or sweeping the leaves Abdul has made a point of keeping the 
forest completely natural, "Plastic bags are strictly prohibited. No eating 
and drinking. Walk through pathways only." He says, and justifiably so as 
the forest is not only a labor of love but for that past ten years has been 
his and his families home. "My rewards are the highly mineralised, 
herbalised water, the fragrant air, the daily walks through the woods, a 
healthy life and an enormous peace," he says. Since moving to the forest 
neither Abdul nor any of his family has been in I'll health, a lifestyle 
they are keen to share and with Abduls permission several other families 
has built houses on the outskirts of the forest.

Perhaps the biggest way in which the forest has benefited the surrounding 
community has been it's water bringing ability, the well that once took 
prolonged amounts of time to recover from it's five liter capacity being 
drained is now full to the brim and overflows for weeks after the monsoon 
subsides. The forest also provides a means for local families to gain 
water, 75 of which depend on the wells.

The work of Abdul has not gone unrecognised and he has now received 
numerous accolades including the "Jalamithra" award for excellence in water 
conservation. Though the application forms given to him for the ministry of 
environment's Virkshamitra award five years ago still lie untouched, he 
says "Living happily in this forest is a reward in
itself. So why seek others."

Contact:
www.goodnewsindia.com
www.forests.org

This is one of many stories available from Positive News newspaper. For 
more stories like this please visit: www.positivenews.org.uk

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