Treading the green path: Delhi man's solo mission to beautify Madikeri
MADIKERI: Astroll on a quaint street near Government Junior College in Madikeri introduces one to a beautification project where flower pots hang on retaining walls of public spaces. In between the flower pots, dustbins are also placed for public use. This beautification project was not taken up by the City Municipal Council or any other government body; it is the effort of an individual from Delhi who moved into the city two years ago in search of clean air.
Piyush Agarwal has grand plans to make Madikeri one of the quaintest cities to live in. Piyush, who started on a road trip across India in search of a place with clean and pure air to lead a retired life, says, 'Madikeri fit the bill the best for my retired life.' So, what made him undertake the journey from Delhi to Madikeri? 'I was in search of a place with a low Air Quality Index (AQI), which I wanted to make my home,' he says.
The businessman and entrepreneur developed bouts of cough due to high air pollution in Delhi. 'I had difficulty breathing and developed cough bouts. COVID happened, and my business suffered a bit. That is when I decided that Delhi was not the place I wanted to live in, and it was time for me to get out,' he shares.
Road trip across 27 states
He set off on a road trip across India, travelling from East coast to West coast, the AQI meter as his travel buddy. He checked the air quality in every place he visited. Ooty, Chikkamagaluru, Goa, Kerala, Kanyakumari – Piyush travelled the length and breadth of India and covered 27 of 29 states; this was in 2022.
'I had a few parameters in mind. While air quality was the priority, the other parameters included the kind of people, a not-so-large city, greenery. And Madikeri fit the bill the best,' he explains.
His travel experience also revealed that the majority of the country is polluted, as air quality level across several regions is above 50. 'Madikeri had an AQI level of 16, and became my ideal place to settle down for a retired life. Kodagu is among the best districts and nowhere in the country can you find such forests with abundant greenery. Even coffee cultivation is done using shade trees,' he opines.
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