Now Reading: Naval trees disappear on 2-km stretch in Kanniyakumari
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Naval trees disappear on 2-km stretch in Kanniyakumari
A 2-km road from Navalkadu to Erachakulam in Kanniyakumari district has lost most of its naval (jamun) trees, the New Indian Express reports. Retired botany professor B Parthipan notes the tree is…
The Story in Brief
A 2-km road from Navalkadu to Erachakulam in Kanniyakumari district has lost most of its naval (jamun) trees, the New Indian Express reports. Retired botany professor B Parthipan notes the tree is common in the district and has medicinal value. Farmer N Pazhani, who planted eight trees on his own, recalls picking fruit along that stretch as a student.
Another farmer, K Packia Das, remembers the shade the trees provided during his school days. The social forestry department said it has seven species including naval, but supplies only to town panchayats, not village panchayats. It requires a three-year guarantee from the planter before providing saplings.
The Indian Opinion
The vanishing naval trees stir nostalgia, but the real narrative is not simple government apathy. Social forestry cites policy constraints, it supplies only to urban areas. Yet the onus also falls on villagers: they must guarantee sapling survival for three years. A concrete test: will the district administration bridge this gap and help farmers like Pazhani plant along the road?
Source: newindianexpress.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
