Kolkata: The 270-year-old Great Banyan Tree, the star attraction of the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden has been restored after it was badly damaged by super cyclone Amphan.
Similarly, the century old Kalpavriksha or Baobab Tree has also been transplanted.
It was uprooted after being hit by the storm that had caused extensive damage to the garden spread over 273 acres of land on the western bank of river Hooghly at Shibpur in Howrah.
There are around 15,000 trees at the garden out of which 1,100 were badly damaged due to the cyclone on May 20. It includes many rare species as well. The botanical garden authorities had conducted a detailed survey on the damaged tree and subsequently initiated the restoration and transplantation work for the same.
The work to restore the damaged Great Banyan Tree and transplantation of the Baobab Tree was taken up with equal importance.
According to a senior scientist of the garden, the detailed study had revealed that around 45 age-old prop roots of the Great Banyan Tree that was spread over 4.67 acres with a huge canopy were damaged. Most of these prop roots are century old and of huge size. It was found quite impossible to use heavy machinery or cranes to lift the prop roots to refix at their actual position. "Around 12 prop roots have been restored manually and smaller equipment by our experts," said Botanical Assistant of the garden, Basant Kumar Singh, adding that the remaining of the roots have received necessary treatment and provided with soil covering. New trees will come out of these prop roots with soil covering and will fill up the gap in the canopy that was created as the prop roots were damaged by the cyclone.
The Baobab Tree was lifted for transplantation using a 40 tonne capacity crane.
The tree was actually of 60 feet height, but 20 feet of the trunk from above was cut off. Subsequent treatment has been carried out to avoid fungal and other infections. New leaves started growing from the tree.