A setback that changed direction
Devaki Amma’s story does not begin with a big project. It begins with a personal setback. She came from a farming family in Alappuzha district and grew paddy, sesame, coconut and vegetables. In 1980 a serious car accident injured her leg and limited how far she could move. Farming stopped. But during her recovery, she began planting saplings on the sandy land around her home.
Kollakal Thapovanam
Slowly, that small effort became Kollakal Thapovanam, a homestead forest of about five acres. According to the 2026 Padma citation and the PIB profile, it holds more than 3,000 trees, including native, medicinal and rare species. It is not just a plantation: it has become a home for birds, butterflies and other creatures, and a living store of plant species that might otherwise be lost.
Forty years of planting and sharing
For more than four decades she saved seedlings, added new species and encouraged students, researchers and nearby households to plant trees. She also gave away seeds and saplings. Her work has been recognised with the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award, the Nari Shakti Puraskar and, in 2026, the Padma Shri.
Her story shows that restoring nature does not always need a big agency or heavy funding. One person’s steady care, year after year, can change a landscape.
Sources
- PIB: Padma Shri 2026 profile
- Padma Awards 2026: official list
- Akashvani: feature on Kollakal Devaki Amma's work
- pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2265055&lang=2®=48
- padmaawards.gov.in/Document/pdf/notifications/PadmaAwards/PadmaAwards2026.pdf
- newsonair.gov.in/akashvani-features-padma-shri-recipient-kollakal-devaki-amma-gs-work/