Dear Editor,
Tree translocation is a process in which the entire tree is uprooted rather than cut and replanted in a new location where it can grow. Entire tree translocation shifting is necessary for large/old trees that are ecologically significant and stand at least 8 feet tall. Instead of felling trees during construction, road widening, and electrical work, a tree translocation policy should be implemented across the country. Every state in the country should have an ETT (entire tree translocation) committee. It should account for both large commercial projects and individual residents. The ETT system allows for the relocation of large/old trees that are ecologically significant and are at least 8 feet tall. Trials already showed an over 80% survival rate will be there after shifting of trees in the country. According to experts, shifting trees is critical for human survival. Just as human blood cannot be produced anywhere other than the human body, the level of oxygen in the air can only be maintained if large trees surround us. As a result, shifting trees rather than felling them is beneficial to our health and survival. A sapling takes at least two and up to ten years after planting to produce a significant amount of oxygen. As a result, saving old trees is the best option. Depending on the size of the tree, the number of trees to be shifted, and the distance between the uprooting and translocation sites, the cost of shifting trees can range between five to fifty thousand rupees. The ecological value of the tree will always be much more than the shifting cost. It is assessed that if shifting a big tree costs rupees fifty thousand, the ecological value will be more than one lac rupees.
VijayKumar H K
[email protected]
Raichur, Karnataka
Environmentalist