BENGALURU: With Bengaluru experiencing unusually high temperatures this summer, a volunteer group in the city has come forward to protect the trees by launching a ‘Cool Tree’ campaign.
The environment enthusiasts said that the heat is affecting the life cycles of the trees and leading to termite infestations. For the past four weekends, the volunteers chose different locations and took help from resident associations to apply “sunscreen” to the trees, said Vinod Kartavya, founder, Bengaluru Hudugaru.
“Bengaluru has never experienced such harsh summers. There has been a depletion in groundwater which has affected trees and stunted their growth. We know that not many want to plant trees so we came up with this idea to protect the existing green cover.”
The high temperatures do not allow the water to reach the branches as it evaporates from the stem. Termites increase by feeding on the available moisture in the trees, reducing the lifespan of the trees by years and decaying the roots.
During the drive, a group of 30 volunteers visit localities and circle the trees with a white paste – a coating made from a mixture of chemicals. The idea occurred to one of the volunteers when they saw the highway trees being marked white. With a little research and help from a BBMP forest range officer, this solution will protect the trees.
“The concoction includes Befenthrin, Malathion or Organophosphate, neem oil, limestone, and wheat flour for adhesion. The first three chemicals will help with the infestation of termites while neem oil will help the wounds to heal quickly and limestone will give a cooling effect and act as a reflector in the night,” claimed Kartavya. He added that just like humans need sunscreens the trees need some protection too.
The concoction needs to be prepared regularly and costs around Rs 2,000 for 50 trees, to which the group contributes. So far, the volunteers have coated 200 trees across the city in areas such as Yelahanka, Indiranagar, Nagarbhavi, and Shantala Nagar. “We look forward to tying up with other residential societies and involving young children to contribute and learn more about how one can do their bit to save our environment,” Kartavya added.