New creator on the block: P D Gauri, 78, of mini-Rock Garden

The former banker single-handedly changes the look of the 5,200 square feet plot full of garbage opposite his house

Three years ago, he carefully picked and decorated what others had discarded, building colourful structures with his bare hands, and single-handedly assumed the responsibility of changing the look of the 5,200 square feet plot full of garbage. Now P D Gauri, 78, is known as the creator of 'mini rock garden' of Sector 12-A.

"The HUDA land had been lying fallow for 17 years, when I first shifted here. It was never developed. In the morning people from the colony nearby came to defecate here and residents threw garbage," says Gauri, adding that during the rains, water would stagnate here and cattle would occupy the land, adding to the muck.

He says he often requested the residents not to dirty the plot, which is right opposite his house, but his requests fell on deaf years. Then he decided to take things in his own hands after his retirement from a private bank three years ago.

"I got the land levelled first with the help of a tractor. Then I planted grass and trees here that I tend to everyday. I collected stones, broken clay pots, tiles, bathroom ware, bricks, water pipes, even a broken toilet seat I found somewhere, painted them and erected them here, creating four structures," says Gauri, who works in the garden from 7.30 to 9.30 in the morning and 5.30 to 7 in the evening.

Owing to his age, his family was skeptical about his passion to develop the plot. "I would roam around on my two-wheeler looking for construction sites from where I could pick up discarded material. To give the structure height, I would stand on a chair and stack the rocks. I have not used any adhesive, making it more challenging," he adds.

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