Caged trees of Karnal suffer stunted growth

Parveen Arora

Karnal, June 21

Metal guards, installed to protect saplings from external harm, have been found to damage growing trees here. A large number of trees have suffered due to these “protective barriers”.

The guards, typically made of metal, are designed to shield young trees from animals, vandalism and harsh weather. The improper installation and poor maintenance of the guards are causing damage to trees. As trees grow, these often become tight due to the guards, leading to their stunted growth, and in severe cases, death of plants.

To check the reality, the this correspondent inspected various areas of the city and found a large number of trees in the grip of guards in different areas, including Sector 12, Mall Road, Karna Lake area, Sectors 4/5/6, green belts and various private colonies.

The situation of trees has caused concern among environment lovers, who have been working hard to remove not only the guards but also nails that have penetrated stems of trees, hindering their growth.

The Lakshay Janhit Society has claimed to have removed nearly 1,800 such tree guards in the past three years.

“We started a campaign to save trees by removing nails and tree guards in 2021. So far, we have removed nearly 1,800 guards,” said Dinesh Bakshi, founder of the society.

“Tree guards are supposed to protect saplings, but these become a death trap within a few years if not expanded or removed in time. This occurs due to the lack of awareness or negligence,” said Bakshi.

Amit Sachdeva, an environment lover, said they had been removing posters and pamphlets from the trees, which were also proving harmful to trees.

Rajesh Sharma, another environment lover, said it was heartbreaking to see the very mechanism meant to protect the greenery turn into killers. These should be removed or redesigned, he said.

“A team of volunteers is actively working in the affected areas to remove such tree guards. Their approach has already saved hundreds of trees in different parts of the district,” he added.