Over 100 translocated trees battling for survival amidst harsh summer

Translocated trees in Tiruchi struggle to survive harsh summer heat, with only 70% showing signs of revival.

The tree translocation initiative undertaken to preserve native species removed for the construction of a new wholesale market in Tiruchi has failed to deliver the intended results.

The Tiruchi Corporation had translocated around 110 fully grown native trees, including neem, pungai, naaval, illupai, and marutham, to facilitate the construction of the market complex at Green Park in Panjapur in April 2025.

The trees were replanted along the service road of the Tiruchi–Madurai National Highway near Mannarpuram with the assistance of a Coimbatore-based non-governmental organisation.

The drive, launched as a mitigation effort ahead of construction work, involved uprooting mature trees from the project site and relocating them to a designated location. Officials said the trees were moved using heavy machinery to sites with similar soil and climatic conditions in an effort to improve their chances of survival.

As part of the process, branches were pruned and wrapped with gunny sacks soaked in cow dung to retain moisture and promote regrowth. The trees were then carefully uprooted and replanted in pits up to 10 feet deep, filled with bio-fertilizers and native soil from the original site. The exposed portions of the branches were covered to prevent moisture loss.

The translocated trees typically require a significant adaptation period, with consistent watering and care for at least three to six months. However, the outcome of the initiative has fallen short of expectations, with environmental activists pointing out that the survival rate of the relocated trees had been significantly low.