5.7K nails removed from 2,000 trees in a yr
MUMBAI: Twenty-five volunteers of Angholichi goli, a city-based non government organisation (NGO), have removed 5,700 nails from around 2,000 trees in the past one year.
The group also intends to reach out to civic bodies to form rules against nailing of posters and banners on trees.
Around a year ago, the group started a campaign called ‘Nail Free Tree’ with an aim to make trees nail-free.
On Sunday, the group, along with residents from Dadar, removed nails from trees at DL Vaidya Road in Dadar (West). This was their way of giving back to mother India on Mother’s Day, group members said.
Sonal Menon, an entrepreneur from Dadar, who invited the group, her family members and friends to join the drive at Dadar, said that the neighbourhood has been witnessing a lot of tree cutting owing to the metro construction work.
“I had seen a banner pinned on a tree sometime back. That is when I realised that an initiative like this is needed to help people understand the importance of trees,” said Menon.
Tushar Warang, district co-ordinator for Nail Free Tree, said they have been reaching out to various authorities explaining to them that nailing banners on trees goes against the Tree Act, Environment Protection Act and Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.
“According to a study, it was found that even trees have feelings and when nails are used on their bark and trunk, their veins get weak. This further affects photosynthesis,” said Warang.
Warang said that at times they have found more than 50 nails pinned on trees, which had to be removed with the help of instruments. They then fill the hole with wax.
“Replicating this idea, we have kicked off similar campaigns in Latur and Osmanabad to tackle water scarcity there,” said Balaji Sagar, a volunteer from the group.
According to an order issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in April 2013, trees should not be used to support advertisements or banners.