Can you turn a garbage pile up roadside into a haven of fruit-bearing crops? Yes, a Kochi native did it. He has not only removed garbage but also transformed the place into a fruit garden.
Shibu Bharathan, 47, of Palluruthy in Kochi was very much disturbed by the sight of debris and garbage lying unattended on the walkways of the road to his home. Though he repeatedly complained to the authorities concerned about the need to remove the garbage, it all fell on deaf ears. Finally, this painting worker-turned farmer decided to take things in hand and cleared the garbage on his own. Realizing that people would soon start dumping waste at the exact same spot, he planted different fruit trees.
“I cleaned the roadside which is around 150 meters in length and planted many fruit trees,” he told “Open Digest“. His experience as a farmer came in handy as he turned the spot into a haven of different fruits.
There is even a heartwarming story behind Shibu Bharathan’s transformation as a farmer from a painting worker. Shibu started collecting seeds of different plants 16 years ago when his son Rithuraj expressed his desire to grow a water apple tree at his home. To fulfil his son’s wish, Shibu bought seeds and started growing it.
Soon, his love for farming made him explore different varieties of seeds and start cultivating fruits like Rainforest Plum, Manila Cherry, four varieties of Rambutan, Olosapo fruit, Araza boi fruit, four varieties of Jabuticaba fruit, varieties of mangoes and rose apples.
What’s more, he also found a way to overcome the paucity of land by growing over a hundred different fruit varieties in drums at his 2.5 cent land at his house in Palluruthy.
“It wasn’t easy for me to switch from being a painter to a farmer. However, I realised how satisfying the job of being a farmer producing fresh organic fruits that are beneficial to both the environment and people is. My mission is to prove that farming is feasible even in big metropolitan cities, where people often complain about the lack of space for cultivating these types of fruits. I have proved how we can grow fruits in drums,” Shibu added.
Shibu is now eking out a living selling fresh fruits cultivated at his home to people living in flats and apartments. He also provides training to people on how to grow fruit plants in limited space. Shibu is supported by his wife Rejimol, 35, and their two children, Rithuraj, 17, and ten-year-old Parvathy Bharathan.
Be First to Comment