70-year-old banyan tree uprooted due to rains gets new lease of life, translocated in Telangana

Hyderabad, Feb 15: A 70 year old huge Banyan tree in Rajanna Sircilla district in the state which was uprooted due to heavy rains during the monsoon season has been given a new lease of life and translocated elsewhere.

TRS Rajya Sabha MP J Santosh Kumar who took up the initiative with the cooperation of the district administration said the uprooted tree started drying up due to lack of water and appeared as if it was dead on the outskirts of Suddala village in Konaraopet Mandal. The tree was successfully translocated on Sunday, he said.

Earlier, Dobbala Prakash, a nature lover from the same village who noticed the tree, started watering it for two months, following which new leaves started sprouting. Santosh Kumar, who launched a Green India Challenge programme all over the country to protect environment and reduce pollution came to know about the tree and extended help to translocate it.

The real trouble came when the tree had to be translocated to a place about 6 KM distance. A special road was laid for the easy transportation of the tree.

Two 70-tonne capacity cranes were pressed into service to shift the tree. Two large branches from the mother tree were planted at Zillella forest area in Tangannapalli mandal, Kumar added.