Old trees NEW ROOTS

Old trees NEW ROOTS
Despite the cost, time and labour involved, transplanting trees is a green alternative to chopping them down for development projects
Dipannita Das & Jayashree Nandi | TNN

Bangalore: With the recent felling of over 300 trees on KR Road for the Namma Metro, debate over depletion of green cover due to rampant tree-felling has been sparked again. While people have to accept that developmental projects will lead to uprooting of a large number of trees, authorities suggest transplantation as a viable option to offset the impact of tree-felling.
Over 200 trees in the city have been transplanted in the past one year. It is an expensive and labour-intensive process but BBMP officials claim 95% success in replanting big trees; 30-50 trees from Metro construction sites will be transplanted soon.
M R Suresh, assistant conservator of forests, BBMP, said trees have been transplanted from Palace Road, Golf Link Road, Bellary Road, Race Course Road and a few more places, to Indira Gandhi musical fountain, directorate of collegiate education, Manekshaw parade ground and Bangalore University Law College premises.
Tree-felling for Metro construction is done by the BBMP. “You should go see the peepal trees thriving at the Indira Gandhi musical fountain and the Taj West End. They are doing very well. We insisted to the BMRC that trees be transplanted and not felled. So we are doing it for them,’’ Suresh said.
Tree transplantation is not an easy process. The BBMP spends Rs 10,000-Rs 20,000 to transplant two to three trees. The expense depends on the utility lines — like telephone cables — passing beneath the tree. Transplanting is easier if the new location is close to the old one, and cheaper if more trees from one place are relocated at a time. Moving avenue trees involves a huge expenditure.
Only young and healthy trees, which can withstand the impact of pruning and uprooting, can be transplanted. Trees are delicate and might not regain their strength after replanting. If the tree sustains all this, it will start sprouting in 3-4 weeks.
EXPERTSPEAK
Some environmentalists feel tree transplantion in the city is illegal as per the Tree Act. Leo Saldanha pointed out that according to this law, the Tree Authority must approve transplantation. The Tree Authority — with the mayor as chairman — was not constituted for decades and is still not functional. The tree officer does not have the right to give permission for transplantation.
According to Saldanha, transplantation is usually authorized in case of rare and endangered trees.
According to a trustee and administrator of Bangalore Environment Trust, G Govardhan, tree transplantation in the city has been 90-95% successful. Its feasibility depends on location, transportation, girth of the tree and use of proper equipment, among others. If the tree is 5-7 years old, the transplantation can be done manually and the cost is less.

METICULOUS WORK
Top covers, which include the leaves and branches, are pruned first so that water content is not lost. Parts of the roots are also pruned but it is best if it is uprooted with the soil bowl (the soil sticking to the roots). Fungicide is applied on the branches to avoid infection and roots are treated with hormones. Big pits are dug at the new location. The tree is covered with cushioning material like straw ropes to avoid injury and carried to the spot by a crane.