Madurai activists tend to trees with nails for advertisements to create awareness

MADURAI: In an attempt to preserve the remaining green cover in the temple city, a group of environmental enthusiasts started removing advertisement boards nailed to tree trunks and applying tamarind paste to the wounds in Madurai on Sunday (August 16).

While people were heading to markets for their weekend shopping, the group decided to spend their morning protecting trees in the city.

Around 30-40 members of the Vaigai Nathi Makkal Iyakkam assembled around 7 am near Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam with nail pullers and tamarind paste.

Onlookers were surprised to see them removing advertisement boards and pulling out at least 10 to 20 nails from each tree.

The members then applied tamarind paste to the holes left by the removed nails. "Now, we are happy. We have safeguarded the trees by applying medicine to their wounds," the enthusiasts said.

"Advertisers do not realise the damage they are causing to the trees and, in turn, to themselves," said M Manikandan, coordinator of the organisation, pointing to a tree with large holes in its trunk. "Advertisement nailing is one of the causes of the death of this tree. The wounds may be small in the initial stages, but over time, they affect the growth of the tree," he claimed.

There used to be around 300 trees around the Teppakulam 12 years ago, providing green cover for people to rest during summer and for children to play in the evening. "Now, nearly 50 per cent of the trees have been removed in the name of commercial activities and tourism," said volunteer Manikandan, who has been living in the area for nearly 20 years.

"Our effort is to preserve the remaining trees. When we see locals watching our activities, we create awareness among them and engage them in the work," he added.

Citing a study by University of Oxford researchers published in Sustainable Cities and Society, the organisation members said Madurai was ranked the seventh most vulnerable city globally to extreme heat risk. "Now, you can feel the scorching heat even at around 10 am," said the coordinator, adding that Thiraviam Road is one of the few places in Madurai that still has some green cover.

"The only way to improve the green cover in Madurai city is to preserve the existing trees and plant new saplings in the city and along the Vaigai," said Kannan from Sellur.

Instead of spending too much money on birthday parties, students should plant saplings in their localities, the organisation urged.