Rajasthan: Retired Forest Officer Proposes Innovative Tree Guard Reuse for Environmental Conservation and Livelihood Opportunities

Udaipur- In a pioneering initiative aimed at both preserving the environment and fostering new livelihood opportunities, a retired forest officer is advocating for the strategic reuse of tree guards across Udaipur city. His innovative approach not only aims to enhance the city's green cover and aesthetic appeal but also to generate employment for semi-skilled workers like welders and painters.

For years, the Forest Department, Udaipur Development Authority, Municipal Corporation, and various NGOs have played a crucial role in maintaining the city's lush greenery.

The initiative to reuse tree guards, installed for the protection of saplings, could prove to be an innovative step towards environmental conservation.

Retired Deputy Conservator of Forests and Director of Green Good Deeds Consultants, Laiq Ali Khan, suggests recovering and repairing tree guards for reuse. According to Khan, the annual plantation drives carried out during the monsoon season along colonies, roadsides, main city routes, parks, playgrounds, school and college campuses, and office complexes aim to see these tiny saplings grow into trees.

These trees would not only provide direct benefits like fruits, flowers, and shade to the public but also play a significant role in environmental conservation and pollution control indirectly.

Alongside plantation, tree guards are used to protect these saplings. Typically made of bamboo, wood, brick masonry, or iron mesh, tree guards made of bamboo or wood do not last long and fail to provide adequate protection to the saplings, resulting in their destruction and the efforts going in vain.

Brick masonry tree guards are relatively expensive and impractical for use along city roads due to limited space. Consequently, iron mesh tree guards have proven to be the most successful, effectively sheltering the saplings until they mature into trees.

Laiq Ali Khan points out that over the past 15-20 years, thousands of tree guards have been distributed and installed by UIT, the Municipal Corporation, and various institutions in different colonies, parks, complexes, and roadsides in the city.

With minimal care and watering for the first two to three years, the survival rate of saplings enclosed by iron tree guards can be around 90%, which is considered a significant achievement. After reaching a safe height in three to five years, healthy saplings, suitable for the local soil and climate, no longer require the protection of tree guards.

According to Khan, more than 95% of tree guards installed with the plantations remain in place for years. Over 20-25 years, these guards either break due to the increased girth of the tree trunk or deteriorate due to weather conditions.

Demonstrating foresight in environmental conservation, if old tree guards are carefully removed, repaired, and repainted, they can be reused, exemplifying an excellent practice of resource reuse. Within the Udaipur city limits, 5,000 to 10,000 such tree guards can be recovered and reused.

Benefits of Reuse

Khan emphasizes that this recovery and reuse initiative offers several direct and indirect benefits. It would enhance the freedom, beauty, and cleanliness of trees surrounded by old tree guards.

Old tree guards can be reused at 20-25% of the cost of new ones, creating employment opportunities for semi-skilled workers like welders and painters.

This would also reduce expenses for the UDA, UMC, and other institutions. Additionally, it would send a powerful message of "recover, repair, reuse" to students, institutions, and executives at the city, state, and national levels, and prevent pollution associated with manufacturing new iron guards.

To bring this innovation to fruition, Khan suggests, a circular can be issued in May-June through the district administration to all department heads/office heads in the district, directing them to remove old tree guards from their premises, repair them, and reuse them in the new plantation drive during the monsoon season.

The UDA and UMC can also implement this tree guard reuse plan in their respective areas. This message can be conveyed to school and college students, with assistance from NCC, NSS, and Scout Guide.

Financial support can be provided to one or more NGOs, assigning them the responsibility for this task, coupled with strict monitoring to ensure good results. On average, a new painted tree guard costs around 700-800 rupees, while an old tree guard can be ready for reuse at 150-200 rupees.