Berhampur: From the Super Cyclone of 1999 to Phailin, trees in the coastal belt of Ganjam district have faced nature’s wrath almost every year.
Botanists and environmental activists of the city have come together to try out an experiment to revive trees using traditional methods.
For over a week now volunteers have been removing nails, wires and posters from trees in and around Berhampur as they slowly kill trees.
“The toxic metallic oxides produced through corrosion started damaging the trees. Fungal infection caused by posters pasted on tree trunks was a major problem. So it was decided to take steps to heal the wounds,” Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ashis Behera said.
Besides Behera, the Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) Chairperson Subash Moharana, forest department officials, MLA Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik, environmental activists and botanists took part in the initiative launched by Sabuja Bahini, Anchalika Vikash Parishad and other organisations.
Later, a mixture of turmeric, neem leaves, cattle dung and clay from ponds prepared by senior botanists Prof Sachidananda Padhi and Prof Brahmabihari Panda was sprinkled to heal the wounds of the trees.
Prof Padhi said plants have great self-healing power and these natural remedies would help them heal. Turmeric and neem act as disinfectants for the wounds and fungal infections. Cattle dung and clay regenerate plant cells, he added.
Along with Sabuja Bahini and Anchalika Vikash Parishad organisations, BDA Chairperson Moharana, Forest Department officials, the city MLA, Berhampur DFO and many nature lovers took part in the initiative Monday.
The MLA said he will try to table a bill in the Assembly to save trees by using these methods.
PNN