BENGALURU: Residents of an apartment complex have used root surgery to save a 60-year-old tree from the axe.
The massive pipal tree (ficus religiosa; arali mara in Kannada) is a haven for parakeets, barbets and a variety of bird life. Pipal is a species of banyan fig native to India.
With its roots spreading, residents in the complex, on Coles Park in Lingarajapuram, were worried.
Gautam Sonti, who owns an apartment at Savoy Apartments, told Express, “The roots were in danger of damaging the foundation and the sanitary lines. So we collectively decided to seek help from tree experts.”
They called urban conservationist Vijay Nishanth.
“In this case, it took us six days to perform root surgery and erect a barrier we got from Delhi,” he said.
In recent years, Nishanth has observed with alarm entire trees being brought down when their roots pose a threat to structures in the vicinity.
So how was the surgery carried out? “We dug to a depth of five feet and gave appropriate cuts to the root system. We then treated it with liquid bandage, using bee wax and orange oil,” he explained. The wax provides a healing layer while the orange oil protects the roots from infection. The health of the tree is dependent on the roots, and the operation has to be performed carefully, he said.
The barrier was installed to prevent the root from spreading out again. “We will monitor the health of the tree. This is a method being followed in Delhi, Mumbai and other cities. It can easily be adopted in Bengaluru,” he said.
House owners cut down trees if roots expand towards a wall, foundation or sump. “They don’t bother about the consequences. We hope they learn about methods such as tree surgery,” a conservationist said.