Kolkata: In a bid to make Deocha-Pachami coal mine project a successful one, the Mamata Bannerjee government pays attention to the tribal sentiment. The government has started translocating 980 trees from a 376 acre plot , a part of the phase one of the Deocha-Pachami coal mine project.
The government has announced a comprehensive compensation package for those whose land was acquired for the proposed coal mine project in the district of Birbhum. Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee in the recently concluded business summit had fixed the date of beginning of the work in the proposed site.
But a fresh complication arose. The tribal people were against the cutting down any of the 980 trees. Worshipping these trees is an age old tribal tradition.
The district administration respecting the local sentiment, held multiple rounds of discussions to find a solution. Finally the solution emerged as the translocation of the trees to a place near their original home. The new home for the trees is a 15 acre plot about 1 km away.
According to sources, the government has alotted close to Rs 15 crores for this process. It has appointed a private agency to do the translocation job. Nearly 125 species of trees will be translocated. This includes Mahua( Madhuca longifolia), Saal and Arjun trees.
On Friday a few Mahua trees were relocated.
Besides transplantation, thw administration is planning to plant around 6000 trees in the whole project area.
As of now the tribals are happy with the solution though they will keep vigil on the final outcome, which is the survival of the trees.
Infographic Technology used for the translocation of trees
Composite tree transplanter machine is mounted on a heavy truck chassis for pit digging, uprooting and keeping root stocksand earth ball intact, transplantingat new siteand filling the pit with dug up soil. Before uprooting, required chemicals are applied.
