Motihari: Old is gold! This age old saying does not apply only to humans but to our trees as well, which need better care to stay afloat against all odds. In north Bihar, East Champaran District Magistrate (DM) Shirsat Kapil Ashok is spearheading a unique campaign to save old trees, and not in vain!

His determination and consistency in efforts have led to wonderful results. With the help of locals, more than 1000 trees that are 70 to 400 years old have been identified, which need special care. These trees are called Guardian Trees.

The campaign to save Guardian Trees started on June 11 this year, which is going from place to place with massive participation of Jeevika Didis, even school students, and others. They are working tirelessly in all 27 blocks of East Champaran to identify Guardian Trees. A few of these trees are of the British era, having witnessed so many ups and downs.

To help people understand the importance of each of these Guardian Trees, the information regarding their age, history, and significance is being displayed via a signboard. A special app ‘Paryavaran Prahari’ has also been developed to collate all information about this environmental heritage. All these trees have been provided with Geotags through this app.

According to locals, many of these Guardian Trees were in a dilapidating state. Now, various teams consisting of locals have been formed to take care of them. They can be seen watering and cleaning the area around these trees. Local women also make rangolis around them. “It is a wonderful initiative by District Magistrate Kapil Ashok. His love for heritage trees is appreciable. We are happy to be associated with his mission,” says Mohit Kumar, a Class XI student, and a ‘Guardian Tree’ volunteer.           

The District Administration under the MGNREGA scheme has started strengthening the roots with soil work and making concrete platforms to keep the tree protected. "While we continue to plant new saplings extensively for nature conservation, it is equally important to save, protect and nurture the existing trees," says the DM. Kudos to DM Shirsat Kapil Ashok and his team for driving this wonderful, one of its kind initiative! /BI/