Mrs Kirtida Mekani, one of Singapore’s most influential champions of environmental sustainability, community service and cultural heritage, passed away early in the morning on Jan 19 after suffering a massive heart attack while having tea at home. She was 66.
Her sudden passing has left a profound void in Singapore’s environmental, arts, and civic communities – circles she shaped quietly yet decisively for more than three decades.
A recipient of the President’s Award for the Environment and an inductee of the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2024, Mrs Mekani’s legacy is woven into the island’s green spaces, community gardens, educational institutions and cultural landmarks.
A life rooted in nature
Mrs Mekani’s lifelong love for nature began in childhood on her family’s farm in Karnataka, India. A simple yet transformative moment – discovering how a “smelly” compost pit turned into fertile soil – opened her eyes to nature’s regenerative power.
That early lesson stayed with her, shaping a philosophy that nature, if understood and respected, could teach humanity how to live sustainably.
When she moved to Singapore with her husband Bharat Mekani in 1990, she was immediately struck by the greenery along the drive from Changi Airport. That image, she often recalled, planted a seed that would later blossom into one of Singapore’s most successful citizen‑led environmental initiatives.
Building institutions, shaping policy
In 1993, Mrs 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 communities.
Even after stepping down, she remained deeply involved in grassroots environmental education, mentoring young leaders, and advising organisations.
Her proudest achievement was the Plant‑A‑Tree Programme, launched in 2007 in partnership with the National Parks Board under the Garden City Fund. The idea initially faced scepticism, with doubts over whether the public would participate. Mrs Mekani persisted – convinced Singaporeans would respond if given the chance to connect personally with nature.
She was right.
Since its inception, the programme has seen over 76,000 trees planted, introduced more than 200 native species, and involved over 100,000 participants from all walks of life. It remains one of Singapore’s most enduring citizen‑driven green initiatives.
A ‘green couple’ and a community builder
Known affectionately as part of Singapore’s “green couple”, Mrs Mekani and Mr Bharat combined business life with community service, quietly supporting causes through donations, volunteering, and board work.
Mrs Mekani served on the Garden City Fund Management Committee and was an ambassador for Community in Bloom, a nationwide movement that now supports 1,900 community gardens cared for by 45,000 volunteer gardeners.
Her philosophy was simple yet powerful: Sustainability must be lived, not lectured.
Education, innovation, and biomimicry
Mrs Mekani believed deeply in empowering the young. She 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 Singapore’s Rail Corridor.
In 2016, she co‑founded the Biomimicry Singapore Network, uniting scientists, designers, engineers and entrepreneurs to explore nature‑inspired innovation. For Mekani, the future lay not in dominating nature, but in learning from it.
She also served on the board of WWF Singapore and as a trustee of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, contributing to conservation efforts locally and globally, including marine conservation initiatives and coral restoration around Kusu Island.
A patron of the arts and culture
Beyond the environment, Mrs Mekani was deeply committed to cultural stewardship. She served on the board of LASALLE College of the Arts and on the management committee of the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS).
As Chair of the Building Committee, her leadership left a tangible legacy in the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Building and SIFAS’ Middle Road campus.
SIFAS 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 environment. Culturally refined, with a fine sense of beauty, order, and purpose, she stood as a pillar of strength and value to SIFAS, serving the institution with deep passion and commitment for over two terms on the Committee.
“She chaired the Building Committee and led the fundraising efforts with extraordinary dedication. Her legacy lives on in the very fabric of SIFAS – in the Annexe, the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, and the new campus at 250 Middle Road – enduring symbols of her vision and tireless service.
“A dear personal friend for over 30 years, she was always cheerful, warm, and caring. Her presence brought comfort and joy to all who knew her. Her passing leaves a profound void.
“We met her in her happy self on the evening of January 17, and she departed on January 19 morning – a poignant reminder of the fragility of life, yet also of the eternal vibration of her spirit that will forever remain in our hearts.”
Mr S. Venkita Padmanabhan, vice-president of SIFAS, remembered her as “an exceptional and deeply kind friend with a generous spirit and a strong passion for nature and the underprivileged”, noting that many of her contributions were made quietly, without seeking recognition.
An accomplished ceramist herself, Mrs Mekani also exhibited her artwork, embodying the belief that creativity and sustainability were deeply connected.
Honours and legacy
Her work earned her the President’s Award for the Environment in 2015, Singapore’s highest environmental honour, and her induction into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame as a Champion of the Environment in 2024.
Yet, she measured success not in awards, but in impact.
“I believe that we all have our part to play in this journey of life,” she once said. “If my efforts, however small, have inspired others to pursue their passions and make our community a better place, then my life will have been well lived.”
A life well lived
Mrs Mekani is survived by her husband Bharat, with whom she ran their family business and shared a life defined by purpose, humility and service.
“Kirtida lived with a rare kindness and an unwavering sense of purpose,” Mr Bharat said. “Her love for nature, her compassion for people, and her quiet generosity guided everything she did. She was the glue that kept our entire family together – always caring, always giving, always putting others first.
“She was my companion and partner in life for over 42 years, a constant source of love, strength, and light. While her absence leaves an immeasurable void, we take comfort in knowing that her spirit lives on through the many lives she touched and the causes she held so close to her heart,” he added.
In a city that continues to call itself a City in Nature, her fingerprints are everywhere – in the trees that line its parks, the gardens nurtured by residents, the students she inspired, and the cultural institutions she strengthened.
