GUWAHATI:
After a series of protests from nature lovers over the felling of trees for the expansion of national highway in Assam, the state forest department in association with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) developed a new technique for transplanting 150 trees from the site of the national highway to other places.
Two trees were successfully transplanted from NH-37 to the campus of Guwahati Biotech Park at Amingaon in Kamrup on May 20, and another two will be transplanted in the coming days. The two trees – a 2.5-year old Ahot (Ficus religiosa) and a 10-year old Bokul (Mimusops elingi) – have been uprooted by adopting the new technique and transported to the venue for plantation.
“The roots of the trees were initially treated with a prescribed dose of fungicide, growth hormone and vitamins to increase the survival percentage which is known to be very low in case of transplantation of mature trees,” said Pranjal Baruah, ranger, Guwahati Forest Range.
“First, about 50 per cent of the roots are chopped by removing soil in the periphery of about 2-3 ft of radius. Then fungicide (as per the required dose) is applied to avoid fungal infection in the roots. The root ball with its original soil intake is covered with a gunny bag or polythene sheet and kept for 15 days. After 15 days, the packing is checked and when the survivable root system for the tree becomes suitable for transplantation to another place, it is transported and transplanted,” Baruah said.
The leaves or the branches are trimmed to lower the transpiration rate and water demand of the trees, and it also helps the trees with fewer roots to withstand the wind and heavy rain.
“The new site is selected and prepared prior by applying anti-termite, antibacterial and antifungal solutions. Organic compost, original soil, sandy soil and the new soil are mixed at equal proportions to prepare the new adaptable environment for the new root system,” he added.
The trees, after the development of the new root system, have been re-planted in an experimental plot that has already been prepared at the Kamrup East Division Campus by adopting all necessary care and technical measures to increase the survival of trees to be transplanted in the current season. So far the forest department has rescued and transplanted 27 trees on an experimental basis.
Dhariwal Buildtech Limited, a construction company engaged in highway construction, has provided all logistics support for the transplantation of trees.
The construction of the highway began in April this year and 2,500 trees will be transplanted from the 16.5-km stretch of the National Highway expansion project from Jalukbari to Basistha.
A total of 100 trees below the girth of 70 cm have been selected from NH 37 from Jalukbari to Khnapara for transplantation which is being treated by a team of Guwahati Range led by range officer Pranjal Baruah under the supervision of DFO Rohini Ballav Saikia since April 2022.