BERHAMPUR: Last week, a 50-year-old Ashoka tree, standing in front of Maa Mahuri Kalua temple on the outskirts of Berhampur, saw a flurry of activities. The towering 50 ft tree, considered sacred, was being moved from the shrine’s premises as the temple is headed for redevelopment.
This is when the Berhampur Sabuja Bahini (BSB), a congregation of youths based out of the Silk City, stepped in and suggested to take over translocation of the tree and sought the temple committee’s approval. Rituals followed and a JCB and crane successfully carried out the operation.
At a time when huge funds are pumped into compensatory afforestation for development projects, this Berhampur-based group has shown how the wise, ageing trees can be respected. Over 109 old trees, selected to be chopped off or uprooted, have been translocated by BSB. Many of the trees uprooted in natural calamities like cyclones have received a fresh lease of life, thanks to the group.
Dedication for trees
The Berhampur Sabuja Bahini pretty much funds its work. “Right from lifting a tree to relocate it, a good amount of money is spent towards engaging JCB and cranes but we manage the expenses from the contribution of our member friends,” said 38-year-old Sibaram Panigrahy, who heads the group.
Sibaram, who works with a pharmaceutical company as a manager, devotes not only time for social service but also spends a chunky sum of his salary on translocation work. With the mantra of ‘Together for Lives, Together for the Planet’, the group members move around the city and suburbs to save the trees in dying state and this practice has continued since last more than a decade.
About a decade back, Sibaram noticed a partially uprooted big Banyan tree near Haridakhandi on the outskirts of Berhampur. All it occurred to him was how to save the tree. He discussed it with his friends who encouraged his endeavour. Back then, very little logistics support for lifting a tree was available but using manpower, Sibaram and his group managed it with the help of some locals. They dug a large pit and relocated the tree which continues to stand tall till date.
“We not only relocate trees but also take care of them for years. We are opposed to the idea of cutting the trees which have given us so much in our lifetime. If we fail in our endeavour, we initiate measures for its relocation” said Sibaram.
How the Sabuja Bahini works
The BSB is a body with 30 active members and another 15 associates. Most of the funds they have generated, so far, is to relocate the trees. Each member contributes but Sibaram bears the lion’s share, about `12,000 every month. The earth movers and cranes usually charge for `1,800 per hour. So, the cost depends on the intensity of relocation.
Sibaram says most of the relocation is taken up at Haridakhandi, Nilakantheswar crematorium, Aska Road crematorium, Gramdevati temple, Sukunda and Dakhinapur. The trees include species such as Banyan, Aswatatha, Ashoka, Kadamba, Tamarind and Neem, most of which come from pond embankments, graveyards and temple premises. The age of the trees varies from 5 years to 50 years and survival rate is more than 60 per cent as BSB opts for conventional translocation method.
Push for modern equipment
“We feel satisfied seeing a relocated tree survive after years, but there is a sense of sadness when trees perish. In Odisha, we have not seen many others doing this though other states are taking this up,” said Sibaram. He believes Odisha urgently needs a Volvo Tree Transplant Machine (VTTM), used in Karnataka by some NGOs. “With cyclones hitting every year and road projects felling hundreds of trees, a VTTM could save countless trees, not just in Berhampur but across the state,” he said.
BSB members also run campaigns urging people not to nail boards and hoardings onto trees. “We remove the nails and treat the wounds using a natural mix of neem, turmeric and cow dung,” said A Prakash, another member of BSB.
Praised but unsupported
Despite widespread public appreciation, the group has received no financial assistance. “Many elected representatives have praised us but beyond assurances, there has been no support,” said Sibaram.
Ganjam Collector V Keerthi Vasan commended their work, terming tree relocation ‘a praiseworthy service that all NGOs and civil society groups should emulate’.
Mrutyunjaya Jena, associate professor of Botany at Berhampur University, said trees aged 4–5 years and 5–7 feet in height have the highest survival rate during transplantation. “Soil composition at the new site is crucial,” he added.
A senior forest officer acknowledged that that BSB always informs the department before relocations but quietly admitted that there is no official permission system for transplanting trees. “The permission is only for cutting them when necessary,” he said.
