Padma Shri environmentalist Saalumarada Thimmakka dies at 114
Tributes poured in from across the country, celebrating her as an inspiring “green warrior” whose legacy of tree planting and environmental care will continue to guide future generations
PTC Web Desk: Renowned environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee Saalumarada Thimmakka passed away on Friday at the age of 114. According to family sources, she had been unwell for several weeks and was receiving treatment at a private hospital in Bengaluru, where she breathed her last.
Born on June 30, 1911, in Gubbi taluk of Tumakuru district, Thimmakka became a national symbol of environmental stewardship through her extraordinary lifelong dedication to afforestation in rural Karnataka. She earned the honorific “Saalumarada,” meaning “row of trees,” after planting 385 banyan trees along a 4.5-km stretch between Hulikal and Kudur in Ramanagara district, a region now part of Bengaluru South.
Her pioneering efforts in environmental conservation brought her widespread acclaim. Over the decades, she received numerous prestigious awards, including the Padma Shri in 2019, the Nadoja Award from Hampi University (2010), the National Citizen Award (1995) and the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award (1997).
Tributes poured in from across the country, celebrating her as an inspiring “green warrior” whose legacy of tree planting and environmental care will continue to guide future generations.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed profound grief over her passing, describing Thimmakka as a woman who dedicated her entire life to nurturing nature. He said her deep love for the environment had made her “immortal,” and added that her demise had left the region “poorer.” The Chief Minister offered his condolences to the family and prayed for her eternal peace.