Berhampur: Environmental activists, forest department and Berhampur Development Authority (BeDA) started a joint effort here in Ganjam district to save trees from slow death and injuries caused by nails and iron rods hammered into their trunks to put up advertisements and other things.
The drive ‘Mu Bhi Banchibaku Chahen’ (I also want to live) has been initiated by ‘Sabuja Vahini’, an organisation of youngsters involved in protection of trees in the cyclone-prone city from September 23.
The drive that September 23 has been going strong and has till now removed nails from more than 12,000 trees. It was noted that trees suffered because of nails and other materials hammered into their trunks to put up advertisement materials and for other purposes.
So, the local youths in hand with forest department joined hands to start the process to free the trees from nails.
The youths first arranged meetings and rally to make people aware about how any metal piece hammered into the trunk of a tree is a slow poison for the plant. The organisation also demanded action against persons that nail advertisements on trees.
Participants at the rally removed advertisements, nails and metal pieces like wires from tree trunks at several places. According to Sibaram Panigrahy of ‘Sabuja Vahini’, they will continue their efforts till all trees in Berhampur are free from these metallic intrusions in their bodies.
PNN