A Life Saved

It is not everyday that the daily newspaper overwhelms you with news you can be proud of.
 

 

 

Daily doses of murders, fraud, accidents and match fixing have lost their shock value. You just casually scan the print for something- anything new, almost with total indifference.
Naturally, at first glance, we almost missed it. It was in fact the series of pictures that made us flip the page back.
 
A 60 year old Neem (Azadirachta indica) tree in central Delhi at the junction of Lodhi Road and Bhishma Pitamah Marg was given a new leash of life by the NDMC’s ‘Tree Ambulance’. It will apparently live on for over 20 more years!

 

(Pic Courtesy Times of India)

The tree was rotting away, its main trunk eaten away by the invading termites. The tree doctors hollowed out the damaged parts of the trunk, spray cleaned it with water and insecticides, packed the void with cotton and thermocol and finally sealed it with plaster of Paris.
When the wood grows inwards, it will compress the cotton and other soft packing so the natural flexibility isn’t lost.

 

(Pic courtesy TOI)

 

How absolutely wonderful, don’t you think?

‘Greening rules’ in Delhi dictate that no concrete pavement can be laid down within a 6X6 feet area around any big tree. In addition, the horticulture department is supposed to maintain a tree ambulance for care and surgical treatment of trees in need.

Delhi today has the distinction of being one of the greenest Capitals in the World. It was only just some time back that nearly a million trees were planted in the city in a special drive (Please click HERE to read our post)

Good to see that some authorities are actually taking this seriously. It isn’t enough to just start a drive or pass a law about conservation, like it so often happens. Especially not with tress.

It was a refreshing piece of news. Also encouraging and motivating.

 

Wags,

Ginger, Buddy and Shadow

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