Pillalamarri finally breathes a sigh of relief

MAHABUBNAGAR: Pillalamarri, the 700-yearold banyan tree which is spread over three-and-a-half acres of land in Mahbubnagar, has been making the headlines for quite some time now, ever since it got infected by termites and fungus leading to the tree’s decay.

It shot to fame as the third largest tree in the country, Pillalamarri has been in a dilapidated condition for long. With the trunks falling off due to termite infestation and vandalism by the tourists who climb the branches and swing on the roots, the tree started crumbling down. Though the officials concerned have been taking various measures for its revival, most of which yielded good results in the beginning, it went in vain in due course. However, the officials are now in a final attempt to provide a new lease of life to the tree. As part of these efforts, they initiated spraying of Panchagavya on the tree around two weeks back.

Thanks to the organic pesticide that has a potential to promote growth and immunity of plants, new sets of leaves have started sprouting from the centuries-old tree. The plight of the tree is not anew to anyone, as it has been facing threats from termites and fungus for decades now. It was handed over to the Telangana Forest Department for restoration and conservation in January 2018, after one of the branches came crashing down in December 2017.

Meanwhile, In 2018, a group of officials, under the aegis of the then Mahbubnagar District Collector Ronald Rose, decided to prepare an action plan to revive the tree. Under the consultation of Manoranjan Bhanja, a retired IFS official, attempts began to rejuvenate the tree scientifically. To contain the termite attack, they administered chlorpyrifos on the tree. Initially, this was sprayed on the branches. Then, holes were drilled into the stem and the solution was injected, but it was ineffective. They then inserted the solution into the branches and this method worked.

Though little shoots began to appear on Pillalamarri soon, the chlorpyrifos’ side effects forced officials to seek alternate methods to ensure the survival of the seven-centuryold tree. Now with the help of Panchagavya, Pillalamarri’s branches have started sprouting new sets of leaves. The officials have also expressed hope that they will be able to ensure the survival of the tree using the organic pesticide as its usage has started yielding results in a limited time.