Transplanted 100-year-old peepal tree in Ahmedabad shows new growth
Tree transplantation expert Bharat Sisodia says the tree has begun growing again after being moved nearly 2 km from its original site.
A nearly 100-year-old peepal tree in Ahmedabad has begun growing again after being transplanted by a specialist, according to a Times of India report. The tree had been cut down to a six-to-seven-foot stump in November 2022 for road development.
Tree-transplantation expert Bharat Sisodia and his team dug a six-foot deep trench around the remaining trunk and used water to soften the soil. They used a 50-tonne crane to move the tree nearly two kilometres to a new location where they prepared a pit with nutrients.
Sisodia shared a video on his Instagram account showing new roots emerging from the transplanted trunk. He said the tree was growing healthily and that nature had allowed the cut tree to grow again.
However, Sisodia warned that the tree could face being cut down again due to development work at its new location. He asked if development and nature could work together and suggested Ahmedabad could become an example of both coexisting.
Sisodia, who has worked on an approach he calls ‘plantenance’ since 2014, said the method focuses on the maintenance of trees after they are planted or transplanted. He noted that the recovery of a tree depends on the condition of its original root system and the weather.