Kirtida Mekani, popularly known as Singapore's 'tree lady', dies at 66

Kirtida Mekani who came from Karnataka and became one of Singapores most influential champions of environmental sustainability community service and cultural heritage has passed away after suffering a massive heart at home She was 66A recipient of the Presidents Award for environment work and an inductee of the Singapore Womens Hall of Fame in 2024 Mekanis legacy is woven into the islands green spaces community gardens educational institutions and cultural landmarks reported online tabloid tablaThe sudden passing of Tree Lady as she was affectionately called on January 19 has left a profound void in Singapores environment arts and civic communities circles she shaped quietly yet decisively for more than three decadesMekanis lifelong love for nature began in childhood on her familys farm in Karnataka A simple yet transformative moment discovering how a smelly compost pit turned into fertile soil opened her eyes to natures regenerative powerThat early lesson stayed with her shaping a philosophy that nature if understood and respected could teach humanity how to live sustainablyWhen she moved to Singapore with her husband Bharat Mekani in 1990 she was immediately struck by the greenery along the drive from the Changi Airport That image she often recalled planted a seed that would later blossom into one of Singapores most successful citizenled environmental initiativesIn 1993 Mekani became the founding executive director of the Singapore Environment Council where she spent four years designing and implementing more than 50 environmental protection and education programmes for schools businesses and communitiesEven after stepping down she remained deeply involved in grassroots environmental education mentoring young leaders and advising organisationsHer proudest achievement was the PlantATree Programme launched in 2007 in partnership with Singapores National Parks Board under the Garden City Fund hereThe idea initially faced scepticism with doubts over whether the public would participate Mekani persisted convinced Singaporeans would respond if given the chance to connect personally with nature She was rightSince its inception the programme has seen over 76000 trees planted introduced more than 200 native species and involved over 100000 participants from all walks of life It remains one of Singapores most enduring citizendriven green initiativesKnown affectionately as part of Singapores green couple Mekani and Bharat combined business life with community service quietly supporting causes through donations volunteering and board workMekani served on the Garden City Fund Management Committee and was an ambassador for Community in Bloom a nationwide movement that now supports 1900 community gardens cared for by 45000 volunteer gardenersHer philosophy was simple yet powerful Sustainability must be lived not lecturedMekani served as a trustee of the United World College of South East Asia Foundation supporting the Rainforest Restoration Project where students run nurseries growing threatened rainforest species for replanting along Singapores rail corridorIn 2016 she cofounded the Biomimicry Singapore Network uniting scientists designers engineers and entrepreneurs to explore natureinspired innovation according to the weekly reportShe also served on the board of World Wild Life WWF Singapore and as a trustee of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International contributing to conservation efforts locally and globally including marine conservation initiatives and coral restoration around the Kusu Island off SingaporeShe also served on the board of LASALLE College of the Arts and on the management committee of the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society SIFASSIFAS President K V Rao said Kirtida was a truly remarkable individual who endeared herself to everyone with her innate empathy for all living beings and the environmentAn accomplished ceramist herself Mekani also exhibited her artwork embodying the belief that creativity and sustainability were deeply connectedHer work earned her the Presidents Award for the Environment in 2015 Singapores highest environmental honour and her induction into the Singapore Womens Hall of Fame as a Champion of the Environment in 2024Mekanis husband Bharat told the tabloid Kirtida lived with a rare kindness and an unwavering sense of purposeThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever