Forest department launches campaign on banyan tree plantation

Expressindia.com: The longevity of a banyan tree is often compared with at least seven life spans of a human being and hence women worship this tree for the well-being of their family, especially husband. These days, with more and more women working, there is no time to do the “pheras” around the banyan tree. Hence, small time vendors chop branches and sell them at the market which are bought by women and worshipped.

Realising the loss to the environment due to chopping of banyan tree — which itself an example of wholesome eco-system — for development purposes, the State Forest Directorate in Pune has decided to launch a plantation drive of banyan tree through eco-clubs spread across the State from June 18, the Vatapurnima Day when women in the State traditionally worship the banyan tree.

“We have been so far drawing from nature, but have now decided to give back to nature with an eco-friendly campaign on festivals. The beginning for the campaign will start with plantation of banyan tree seedlings on Vatapurnima that falls on June 18,” said Prakash Thosre, director of Social Forestry Directorate. He said the department would capitalise on festivals like Nag Panchami, Ganesh Festival, Dassera, Diwali, Gudi Padwa and Maha Shivratri.

To make the plantation campaign successful, Thosre has sought citizen’s participation. The directorate has approached eminent women and developers along with corporators to plant one banyan tree in their ward. “A lot of plantation is being done these days but mostly they are trees which grow quickly but succumb easily to nature’s fury, but it is not same with banyan tree,” he said in a statement.

“There are over 8,000 eco clubs in schools spread across the state and everyone would be urged to participate in the plantation drive. This year, girl volunteers of eco clubs and women members of self-help groups will create Banyan tree parks with at least 10 saplings and assurance of maintaining it across the state,” he said, adding, the nursery owned by the Department of Social Forestry has made available 1,00,000 banyan tree saplings for the purpose and each packet of seedling costs Rs 2.50.

Explaining the importance of the banyan tree, the Social Forestry Directorate said that the tree is useful for human beings, birds and grazing cattle. The leaves control air and sound pollution while the density of leaves help reduce the temperature of the surroundings.

The radish brown, cherry like fruit is a feast for many birds while the large elongated stem gives shelter to some of the wild animals and even snakes take shelter in the readymade holes of the stems. Thus, a banyan tree is a complete ecological system of its own. In the past, the banyan trees were planted alongside roads to offer shelter for commuters who used to travel those days on bullock carts or horses, the directorate said. “Nowadays, the banyan trees are chopped in the name of development and road widening or for constructing of new housing societies and it is nothing less that eliminating mute witnesses of our glorious unwritten history.”

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