https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Protecting Old Trees

Indian Masterminds Stories

It is impossible to imagine our lives without trees. In fact, to a large extent life itself is dependent on trees. From contributing to environment by supplying oxygen to providing shelter, food, medicine, so many vital aspects of our lives rely heavily on trees. However, in the wake of development we are just ignoring their importance and chopping down what were our veritable guardians all this while.

In Motihari district of Bihar, though, the situation is different. Here, people are now coming forward in support of the trees, to prevent their cutting and to safe-guard the ones which are very old and therefore rally precious. All this has become possible due to an  initiative taken by the District Collector Sirshat Kapil Ashok. 

In a conversation with Indian Masterminds, he talked about his ‘Save our Guardian’ project for preserving the trees which are at least 50 to 100 years old. 

AN APP FOR TREE IDENTIFICATION 

Mr. Ashok believes that old trees are very crucial for a healthy ecosystem. So, we need to save them and the project initiated by him revolves around this idea. 

As he explained, “There are lot of programs under which plantation of new trees are encouraged. Every year the forest department also plant hundreds of trees. However, those trees will take time to grow up and help in strengthening the ecosystem. While at the same time we have several trees that are old and have strong roots to control floods and erosion. It is important that we are planting new ones but it is equally important and necessary to save the old ones.” 

Under this project, an App is being developed to first identify the old trees. The app named ‘ParyavaranPrahari’ doesn’t only give the location of the trees but also has additional information about their cultural or historically relevance and what all should be done to preserve them. 

Explaining the working of the app, the nodal officer of the project Mr. Amit Upadhaya said, “A team is assigned with the task to identify the trees. They are using the geo-tagged photos (with longitude & latitude markings) of the trees to trace their location. Apart from this, the app also has information about the girth of trees. With this app we have identified a total of 1450 trees in the district, out of which 52 trees are taken as model trees to set an example on the preservation front”. 

RELEVANCE 

Some identified trees are 400 years old and have great historically value. At the same time,  some are turned into places of worship. The team has identified a 400 year-old Banyan tree in Harsiddhi block. The tree is part of a temple famous as ‘Kuleshwari Sthan’. “We talked to many older people to guess the age of that banyan tree. Few told us that their grandfather had also seen that tree in the same shape as it is now”, said Mr. Upadhaya

Similarly, a trio of two peepal and one banyan trees is found in Aadapur block. 

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION 

The collector is also encouraging community participation in this project. “Under the guidance of DM sir, a sanrakshak mandal is formed with the locals that will protect the trees. Apart from this, we are also organizing various cultural events in accordance with festivals to spread awareness about protecting the trees. On Rakshabandhan, Rakhi will be tied to each one of them. The idea is that people own up the trees and do whatever is required for their preservation. Like sculptures or monuments, these trees are also asset for us”, said Mr. Upadhayay. 

The collector Mr. Ashok also feels that if preserved properly, many of these trees could also be a heritage site in the future. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
ACC_Appointments Committee of Cabinet
IDES Aseem Kumar’s Tenure at MNRE Extended by 2 Years; IRSME Sushil Kumar Singh to Continue Addl Charge of Mumbai Port Authority
Indian Forest Services IFS officer
IFS Officer Priya Ranjan Gets Extension as Managing Director of National Horticulture Board - Know More!
RCIL RAILTel
RailTel Selects Techno Electric as Partner for 10MW Data Centre in Noida on Revenue-Sharing Basis - Details Inside
Squadron-Leader-Manisha-Padhi
Who Is Squadron Leader Manisha Padhi, Who Becomes India’s First Woman Aide-de-Camp?
Sundarban Forest
West Bengal to Replace 56 km of Nylon Nets in Sunderbans to Prevent Tiger Intrusion into Villages - Details Inside
IRS Officer Indian revenue Services
CBI Orders Attachment of ₹7 Crore Properties in Corruption Case Involving IRS Officer Amit Nigam - Details Inside
IAS B Ashok
Setback for Kerala Govt: CAT Quashes IAS B Ashok’s Appointment as LSG Reforms Commission Chairman - Details Inside
cybercrime
How a Fake Terror Probe Call Led to a Retired Doctor Being Duped of ₹2.2 Crore by Cyber Fraudsters Posing as IPS, NIA Officers
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
Monika Singh’s Life Beyond the Bureaucracy | Video Interview 
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
ANUBHAV SINGH UPSC IFS 2024
9 Years, 8 Attempts, 7 Failures: How Anubhav Singh Cracked UPSC IFS 2024 with AIR 3 Against All Odds | Exclusive
Anubhav Singh’s inspiring journey to UPSC IFS Rank 3 showcases relentless perseverance, strategic preparation,...
Jogender Sihag
“I Cleared UPSC, But My Grandfather isn’t Here to Hear it,” Jogender Sihag, AIR 521, UPSC CSE 2024
"Life is short; make the most of it, whether in civil service or any other field. Just have a clear vision...
WhatsApp Image 2025-05-28 at 18.56
Didn’t Clear UPSC But Found Something Greater: A Story That Will Change How You See Success
She left a top finance job for UPSC, did not clear but built a thriving wellness brand instead. Veda's...
Social Media
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
shubham kumar ias marriage
IAS Topper Weds BPSC Topper: Shubham Kumar Marries IRS Officer Priyangi Mehta in Patna; Wedding Video Goes Viral
Topper Couple Alert: Shubham Kumar, Priyangi Mehta’s Wedding Grabs Spotlight in Bihar
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
ACC_Appointments Committee of Cabinet
IDES Aseem Kumar’s Tenure at MNRE Extended by 2 Years; IRSME Sushil Kumar Singh to Continue Addl Charge of Mumbai Port Authority
Indian Forest Services IFS officer
IFS Officer Priya Ranjan Gets Extension as Managing Director of National Horticulture Board - Know More!
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT