Naya Kashmir: Meet Valley's own youngest plantsman Usaim Syed

A 15-year-old young schoolboy from South Kashmir's Anantnag Kashmir, who studies in 9th grade, is extremely persuasive for plants. 

Cutting a decade-old tree is the only inspiration that has made him so passionate about plants that he started growing plants of different varieties and species within his own surrounding. 

He has harboured as well as germinated a number of expensive plants in his garden like Japanese Pine, Red maple, Rubber Fig, Cryptomeria Japonica and many more.

One of the most inspiring things is that he has presumed Google and YouTube to be his teacher, trainer, guide and had collected all the helpful stuff from these platforms. 

Usaim also germinates the seed which can cost up to Rs 1 lakh if sold and that special seed is Red maple.

His ways and methods are cost-effective and can be adopted by everyone whosoever is cooperative for growing plants. 

He said that all the methods were easy enough for everyone to try. "You just need to add a little honey to your cutting and then cover the part where you've cut it with cinnamon powder and you have your own rooting hormone," Usaim said while explaining the way to make root hormones at home. 

Usaim said that he was getting good responses from family, relatives and friends. 

His friends are much helpful towards the passion of Usaim. He is usually accompanied by his friends whenever he needs help in "Green Campaigns". 

Usaim's family is much cooperative for this passion and has never been a hurdle or barrier while he worked on plants. 

Usaim's message

Usaim believes that the environment in Kashmir is getting depleted day by day. He said that we all must go against deforestation and at the same time we must go for afforestation.

Citing an example of a recent incident in which a minor girl from the Budgam area was mauled by a leopard, he said that if the habitat gets damaged, then the reaction would be in the same manner when damage is done to the habitat of wild animals and their reaction which always costs humans

He said, "People still don't realise why these wild animals are coming on streets or residential areas, we people have destroyed their habitat, we people are destroying their homes, so its obvious they will enter our surroundings" 

He urged people to stop deforestation as early as possible and preserve the Mother Earth that God has given us. 

He said, "We must stop destroying the habitat of wild animals as this can harm humans and can create a major problem for our coming generations. 

"We must go green and we must grow more and more plants," Usaim said.

Usaim's green message

Usaim has a message for all his fellow Kashmiris: "I will continue to plant more and more trees and will also raise awareness among people and I would say to people that do the same and go green, If we cut one (1) tree we must grow two (2)".

Surely we must appreciate his words here. 

At such a young age Usaim Syed has led by example and has shown that a lot can be done as our own part for preserving our beautiful motherland. He says that if I can contribute my part to my environment that means everyone can contribute their part for preserving our Earth.

(Story & Image: Arawat Mehraj)