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Journalism of Courage
In its Budget Tuesday, the Delhi government set itself and several other agencies a tough target with a change in policy — of all the trees that are required to be cut for a project, permission (after due process) will be given only for a maximum of 20%, and the rest will have to be transplanted either on site or elsewhere.
Tree transplantation first came into public consciousness in Delhi when, in 2011, the voluntary organisation Green Circle helped remove five mulsari trees that were growing in front of the Bada Gumbad in Lodhi Garden. The trees were relocated inside the garden. Over the last several years, several businesses offering tree transplantation have cropped up.
But how effective is transplantation?
According to experts, it is a complicated process whose outcome cannot be predicted. Speaking to The Indian Express, ecologist C R Babu said transplantation requires time, patience and expertise. Babu was part of a team that transplanted peepal and ficus trees from Delhi University a few years ago, a process that cost Rs 1 lakh, he said.
The process of transplantation involves multiple steps and a tree cannot be transplanted from one location to another by just replacing it in another pit. A pit is first dug around the tree to isolate the roots. The big branches are lopped off, leaving only small shoots for regeneration. This is done to make transportation easier.
The root system is covered with wet gunny bags to protect the roots and to keep the tree hydrated. The tree has to be sent to a nursery to acclimatise to a new kind of soil, and to regenerate. Once new shoots start sprouting, the tree is lowered into a ditch created in its new spot.
It is after this that patience and luck come into play. Dr Babu said the survival rate of a transplanted tree is about 50%. Growing a full canopy can take up to 10 years.
According to Delhi Forest Department officials, the cost of transplanting an average-sized tree is around Rs 1 lakh, which includes post-transplantation care. For larger trees, the cost can go up to Rs 3 lakh. Private and voluntary organisations, however, claim that the cost is between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000.
Another problem is that not all kinds of trees can be transplanted. While peepal, ficus, semal and sheesham are tolerant to transplantation, trees such as dak, palash, arjun, shahtoot and jhilmil are not. Any tree with a tap root system cannot be transplanted as the root goes deep into the soil, and it is not possible to isolate it without damage.
A Forest Department official said transplanting any tree with a trunk girth of more than 80-90 cm is not advisable as the tree cannot bear the shock, and will eventually die.
Soil type too, is an important consideration before transplantation. A tree growing on the Delhi Ridge will not easily acclimatise to soil in the Yamuna floodplain, as the ecosystem is different. In such a case, Delhi government and Delhi Development Authority, agencies at loggerheads over availability of land, would likely clash.
