Going to great lengths to save green cover

The green brigade of Vata Foundation is back. This time, their services were required during summer to save some of the trees that had fallen in last week’s heavy rain accompanied by gales, thunder and lightning.

While the GHMC has officially said that over 100 trees got uprooted, similar incidents were reported in other places across the State when the Foundation volunteered to revive them wherever possible. “Any fallen tree can be revived and put back in its place if promptly acted upon; otherwise they end up being sold as firewood,” points out P. Uday Krishna, trustee.

He and his band of ‘green’ volunteers contacted officials concerned to save the trees and sought logistic support in the form of cranes. “Several trees had fallen on Necklace Road, NTR Gardens and Sanjeevaiah Park, but before we could react, they were chopped down on the pretext that they obstructed traffic, even if most were nowhere near the road,” he bemoans.

It took intervention of Officer on Special Duty in the Chief Minister’s Office, Priyanka Vergheese, to save whatever trees that were left. Eight trees—two in the GHMC limits and six in HMDA—were identified for saving. However, three trees could not be reached, two on the footpath on NTR Marg were chopped off before the team could get the requisite permissions. Three trees were rescued and replanted, while another broken branch of a fallen tree showed signs of sprouting, he explains.

Another team went to Warangal in an effort to save fallen trees, especially a 200-year-old one, but a narrow approach road has halted work.

A heavier crane with a winch is being planned to save them. Earlier, the Foundation translocated 22 trees on the Mulugu highway, 100 trees at Kukatpally for flyover while it has been approached to move 40 trees at Kothaguda for another flyover.

“There is no official mechanism to save uprooted trees by any department. Our endeavour is to make everyone aware that every tree matters and can be saved. All it needs is some equipment, willpower and a call to Vata Foundation (9848023029),” adds Mr. Uday Krishna with a smile.