Banyan tree, planted by Periyar, declared ‘dead’

The tree has a strong emotional bond with the alumni of the college, though their efforts to save it for more than three years went in vain. Students recalled that they used to make vital decisions gathering under the tree. The tree was affected by ganoderma fungal infection and started withering over the past three years. 

The tree was worst affected last year with the branches withering away. Workers in the college had chopped the branches with hacksaw blades which probably damaged the tree.

However, alumni and former professors attempted to save the tree and in a final bid, they had approached experts in the Horticulture and Entomology and Pathology departments to study  the possibility of making the tree  survive. 

The team of experts from the Horticulture College and Research Institute for Women in Navalur Kottapattu, headed by S Parthiban, Head, Department of Roots, along with R Philip Sridhar, professor of Entomology, examined the tree and declared it ‘dead’. 

They said the tree was affected with ganoderma fungi as it was left without any water, which was followed by intense drought in the region. K P Ganesan, former professor in the Tamil department, said the work to turn the tree into a memorial would be done before October 2 as a get-together has been planned on that day.