Prabhunath Shahi (Etv Bharat)
Panchkula: From Le Corbusier’s planned city, Chandigarh now sprawls across three neighbouring cities, including Panchkula in Haryana and Mohali in Punjab, all of which continue to carry the original ethos of tree-lined boulevards, verdant parks and grassy roadsides. But few know that a small part of this greenery has been nurtured for decades by an individual.
Prabhunath Shahi, originally from Gopalganj district in Bihar, has created a network of gardens across the Tricity area. Since leaving the Indian Air Force (IAF) early due to a heart condition, he joined the Chandigarh Forest Department. Now, having retired, he has settled down in Chandigarh, to develop gardens with his own money.
ETV Bharat spoke with him to learn about his contributions to the environment and the challenges he faced.
Journey From Service To Retirement
Shahi said one of the things that drives him — serving the country — came from his time with the IAF. The other — love for nature and environmental conservation — came from growing up among nature at his maternal grandparents’ home. It continued to flourish when he joined Chandigarh Forest Department, where he learnt the ropes of side-stepping bureaucratic hurdles to pursue his passion.
He recalled that he began his initiative by clearing away garbage littered in an area along the Chandigarh-Panchkula border (Sector 56), and transforming it into a garden. Initially, he faced significant local resistance, but things became easier as he engaged with the community and won their support. After clearing the garbage and debris, he sowed seeds and planted a variety of saplings, including fruit-bearing and flowering plants.
His go to plants are species like Amla (Indian gooseberry), Neem, Bahera, Peach, and Sahjan (drumstick). Shahi said so far he has established around 25 gardens across various sectors of the Tricity area, including the Panjab University campus in Chandigarh. Many of these locations were once plagued by filth and squalor. Today, flowering, fruit-bearing, and shade-giving trees he planted bring joy to the people. He added that he continues to care for over 10,000 saplings he has planted so far.
Monthly Expense: Rs 60,000
Shahi said after he identifies a location to develop a garden — be it in a housing society, a vacant plot, or inside residential sectors — he begins work only after obtaining consent from residents and local councillors, as he doesn’t want his work to lead into any disputes. He admitted developing these gardens entails significant costs, for which he spends a large portion of his pension, along with the financial support he receives from well-wishers who have joined his initiative. In 2022, he established “Jai Madhusudan Jai Shri Krishna Foundation” to continue his work.
The green finger explained that his goal is not merely to plant saplings, but in nurturing them so they grow up into full-fledged trees. He said the total monthly expenditure for maintaining all the gardens comes to around Rs 60,000.
Shahi said he has appointed gardeners and watchmen with regular monthly salaries to maintain the gardens on a daily basis. He added that in some locations, local residents themselves take care of the gardens once they are developed.
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