Trees translocated within the campus of the Circuit House at Mannarpuram in Tiruchi show signs of revival.
| Photo Credit: MOORTHY M

The tree translocation drive to save 58 native trees removed from the site of the upcoming Kalaignar Grand Library and Intellectual Centre in Tiruchi has borne fruit, with many of the trees showing signs of revival.

The Public Works Department (PWD) translocated 58 fully-grown native trees to pave the way for the construction of the Kamarajar Library at TVS Tollgate. The trees were translocated within the Circuit House campus with the help of Green Care, a Coimbatore-based non-governmental organisation engaged in protecting and transplanting trees.

Native species such as pungai, neem, poovarasan, vagai, ashoka, and vetpaalai were relocated using heavy machinery to the area which had similar soil and climatic conditions. “Of the 58, only four trees have not shown any signs of regrowth, but others have yielded good results, within 60 days of translocation. It usually takes time for some trees to adapt to the soil and spring back to life,” said K. Syed, chairman of the NGO.

The survival rate was attributed to timely maintenance and appropriate methods engaged in relocating the trees. A team of caretakers has been appointed for regular watering, and a drip irrigation system for every 10 trees has been set up to water plants by using an existing open well on the campus.

“Since the trees were planted on the red soil, the survival chance were good. Proper maintenance and regular watering have enabled the trees to grow well, especially during summer,” he added.

Once the trees are identified for translocation, their branches are cut and covered with gunny sacks soaked in cow dung to retain moisture and enable regrowth. The trees are then removed with heavy machinery and sown in planting beds up to 10 feet in depth, which are filled with bio-fertilisers and mother soil from the original site. The exposed parts of the branches remain covered to retain moisture. Regular watering is ensured for at least three to six months.

Similarly, around 106 native trees of neem, pungai, naaval, illupai, and marutham species were uprooted from the Green Park at Panjapur and translocated along the service road of Tiruchi-Madurai National Highway near Mannarpuram to facilitate the construction of a new vegetable market, has begun to spring.