KANNIYAKUMARI: Take a ride from Navalkadu to Erachakulam and you will witness a stretch of 2km road, which used to be lined with naval trees, losing its green cover.
B Parthipan, a retired Associate Professor of Botany, ST Hindu, College, Nagercoil told TNIE that Navalkaaadu is a small village located in Thovalai of Kanniyakumari district.
Syzygium cumini (L) Skeels, Syzygium jambolana DC, commonly known as jamun or black plum, is a large evergreen tree belonging to the family Myrtaceae.
The trees flourishes in tropical and sub-tropical moist forests, along riverbanks, and adapts to diverse soil types upto an altitude of 1,800 metres.
The naval tree is common in Kanniyakumari district. Beyond its taste, it is a powerful medicinal plant used for generations. N Pazhani (45), a farmer from Navalkadu said that when he was a student at nearby Erachakulam, he recalls walking the stretch full of naval trees on either side and picking the fruits for his family. Pazhani said that he had planted eight naval trees to uphold the tradition, out of which two trees started bearing fruits. He also urged the concerned authorities to plant more saplings at the road side and public areas.
Farmer K Packia Das (55) from the village, also reminisces the road full of naval trees during his school days, providing them shade from the scorching sun when they used to return to their respective homes during afternoon hours.
When contacted, sources from the social forestry department said it had seven species including a species of naval tree. They only supply to urban areas including town panchayats, not village panchayats. They also added that people have to provide assurance that they would grow the saplings till three years.