Healing Trees In Odisha’s Berhampur Using Turmeric & Neem

Berhampur: From Super Cyclone to Phailin, trees in the coastal belt of Ganjam district face nature’s wrath almost every year. Botanists and environmental activists of the city now have come together in an experimental trial to revive and save trees from dying, using traditional methods.

It has been a week now since volunteers are removing nails, wires and posters from tree trunks in Berhampur as these are believed to cause slow death of trees.

“It was seen that toxic metallic oxides produced through corrosion had started to damage the internal parts of these trees. Fungal infection caused by posters nailed on tree trunks was a major problem. So, it was decided to take up some measures to heal the wounds,” Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ashis Behera told The Hindu.

Besides Behera, Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) chairperson Subash Moharana, Forest Department officials, city MLA Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik, environmental activists and several botanists took part in the initiative started by Sabuja Bahini, Anchalika Vikash Parishad and other organisations.

A natural mixture of turmeric, neem leaves, gobar (cattle dung) and clay from ponds prepared by senior botanists Prof Sachidananda Padhi and Prof Brahmabihari Panda is being used to heal the wounds on the trees.

Prof Padhi said that plants have great self-healing power and these natural remedies would help them heal quicker. Turmeric and neem act as disinfectants for the wounds and fungal infections. Cattle dung and clay work to regenerate the plant cells, he added.

Along with Sabuja Bahini and Anchalika Vikash Parishad organisations, BDA chairperson Moharana, Forest Department officials, city MLA, Berhampur DFO and other nature lovers took part in the initiative on Monday.

The MLA said that he will try to table a bill in the assembly to save trees using these methods.