On a quiet night in 2019, Dr Shankar Lal Garg, a retired professor with a passion for nature, was resting peacefully at his home in Indore. This tranquillity was shattered by an unexpected phone call that would test the limits of his endurance and resolve.
The voice on the other end delivered devastating news — his beloved forest, the culmination of years of dedication and labourious effort, had been set ablaze!
Sitting 40 km away from his carefully nurtured oasis, he could do nothing but offer silent prayers, hoping for a miracle to prevent the complete destruction of his dream.
As dawn broke, he hurried to the site, his heart heavy with dread. The sight that greeted him was a nightmare brought to life. In a cruel twist of fate, around 1,000 trees were reduced to nothing more than smouldering ash. The remnants of the forest lay charred and desolate, a stark contrast to the vibrant ecosystem he had laboured to create.
“It was so disheartening for me,” Dr Garg tells The Better India, the pain of that moment etched deeply into his memory.
For most, such a devastating setback might have been the end of the journey. But for him, it became a catalyst for resilience. Though the flames had consumed the physical manifestation of his dreams, they could not extinguish his spirit. In the face of this adversity, Dr Garg was determined to rebuild, to nurture life from the ashes.
Fast forward to eight years, the very same land ‘Keshar Parvat’, which was once a barren and rocky hillock, is transformed into a lush forest. Today, the land spanning 22 acres boasts over 40,000 thriving trees. This flourishing forest stands as an example to Dr Garg’s determination and the profound impact an individual can have on the environment.
‘Where others saw bare rocks, I envisioned life’
It was in 2015 when Dr Garg retired from his esteemed academic career as a government school principal in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Initially, he purchased the property to build a college on Keshar Parvat, a venture promising substantial financial returns and personal acclaim.
As tempting as it was, something gnawed at him; the vision of a sprawling educational institution did not quite resonate with his inner calling. He saw not a barren hill but a canvas of ecological potential.
So, at the age of 67, when most would prefer the quietude of retirement, he embarked on an audacious journey to cultivate a forest on the barren land located on the Malwa Plateau. The region is notorious for its scorching temperatures and scarcity of water.
But with a heart full of zeal, Dr Garg began the labourious task of planting saplings on the rocky terrain. “I tried digging up the soil, but anything beyond five to six inches was not possible. I went ahead and added a layer of soil externally and planted about 100 saplings anyway. I’d water all my plants daily. And just in a couple of days, I saw them growing. Gradually, the plants made their space in the rocks on their own. This is the fundamental principle of nature. If you put water every day on rocks, they also get broken up,” smiles Dr Garg, now 75.
His vision was far from conventional, and many labeled him as ‘crazy’. Yet, he believed in the power of nature and human resolve to turn the impossible into the possible.
“Often, villagers asked me why I was planting trees on this barren land. All their lives, no one had seen a single plant on that terrain. They told me nothing would grow here, but I wanted to try — and I tried until I succeeded,” he says with pride.
“At any stage of your life, you tend to meet leg pullers. I did not find support in people but in my plants themselves. Their growth kept my dignity alive. Sometimes, I feel communicating my desires to them is easier than expressing it to any human,” he adds.
Nurturing a dream against all odds
Dr Garg had initiated the remarkable transformation without the luxury of fertile soil, ample water, or financial backing. He began with species like Banyan, Neem, Pipal, Mango, and Guava. Slowly but steadily, life began to sprout.
So far, he has planted 40,000 trees in the last eight years. Of these, about 15,000 trees have grown to heights above 12 feet. The survival rate of these trees, Dr Garg says, is an astounding 95 percent – a figure that silences his critics. His mission is to plant 10,000 more trees.
Over the years, it has become a thriving ecosystem filled with teakwood, rosewood, sandalwood, and an astonishing variety of fruits, medicinal, and flowering trees from around the world – from Olives from Italy and Spain, Australian avocados, and Mexican dates have all found a home here.
What adds mystique to this endeavour is the trial and success of growing saffron in such a hot climate. “The arrival of 500 saffron flowers in 2023 was an unforeseen triumph,” he mentions.
Beyond sustenance, the forest serves a purpose of community and conservation, not relying on fertilisers or pesticides but embracing natural farming practices.
The once-barren Keshar Parvat is now alive with the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds. Wildlife has also returned; jackals, wild pigs, and over 30 bird species now roam freely.
It is to be noted that the initial stages to cultivate this ecosystem were fraught with adversity. Dr Garg had drilled three borewells to arrange for a water source to water his saplings, but he found them all dry.
Undeterred, he resorted to purchasing water through tankers, an exhaustive and expensive process. “Each tanker of 6,000 litres cost me about Rs 600 in normal days and Rs 2,000 in summer. At least one water tanker was required every day,” he says.
Now, years later, the water table in surrounding areas, once considered hopeless, has risen, thanks to the forest’s influence on local water cycles. “Earlier, I did not get water even after digging borewells as deep as 600 feet. Now, I get water in the surrounding plain areas at just 250 feet. Now, I am not dependent on water tankers,” he adds.
As the forest continues to mature, Dr Garg envisions its fragrant blossoms and vibrant foliage spreading joy and awareness far beyond the hill itself. His efforts extend an open invitation to anyone inspired to turn dreams into reality, even if it means being called ‘crazy’ along the way.
For readers, he has just one simple message: “Everyone should at least plant one tree in their lifetime. While you may think you are only planting a tree, it will give you and others fresh air, food, and shelter, boost the economy, and prevent disasters like floods, drought and landslides for decades to come. So, can we take care of at least one plant in our life?”
If you are inspired to join Dr Garg in his mission of tree plantation, you can contact him at 9425056228.
Edited by Megha Chowdhury; All images courtesy Dr Shankar Lal Garg
