BENGALURU: A recently reported incident of tree poisoning at Vijayanagar has sparked an outrage among local residents regarding the safety of plants and trees, with a rising concern about similar activities across Bengaluru, including Kengeri, Indiranagar, Malleshwaram, Jayanagar and JP Nagar.
The affected tree was on 7th Main Road, 3rd Cross Road, Vijayanagar. An FIR has been filed against local resident Rajendra Kumar and his brothers Vinendra Kumar and Jitendra Kumar for poisoning the tree, said Sudarshan GK, deputy conservator of forest (DCF), Greater Bengaluru Authority.
While walking through the street, Sonesh K Shet, the founder of Team Social Spotlight, noticed the yellowing and falling of leaves from the tree. Worried that it was not the season for leaves dropping, he inspected the tree and noticed holes drilled into the trunk with chemicals dripping out.
“Previously, the tree had a twin, which was killed using the same procedure three years ago, and an attempt to kill this tree as well was made recently,” said Sonesh.
He reported the incident to the Range Forest Officer on September 11. Initially the roots of the trees were drenched, and the chemicals were flushed out from the drilled holes, and first aid was performed to neutralise the toxins. Later environmental conservationist Vijay Nishanth, also known as ‘Tree Doctor’, treated the tree. His experience of treating around 70-80 such cases across Bengaluru has brought some hope for the survival of the tree.
“The tree is in a better condition with a 50-50 chance of survival. The recovery is not that easy, and the health status of the tree can be measured only after one or two months. In the whole process, it doesn’t matter if the tree grows or not, but it is very important to keep the tree alive. I will have to pump the tree with energy and nutrition supplements and watch if it holds on,” said Nishanth.
Sonesh and supporters of the cause have planned a protest at the Freedom Park, demanding an amendment to the Preservation of Trees Act for prolonged imprisonment and hefty fines for those who harm the trees, instead of the flexible punishments of the current legal system.
