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The state of Odisha has approved a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to address the extensive cutting down of trees caused by road widening and other development projects. This SOP involves the process of tree translocation, which entails uprooting trees from their original locations and replanting them in new areas as a means of regrowth.
The state forest department officials are taking proactive measures to prevent the loss of green cover in cities, as between 2010 and 2020, over 18.5 million trees were cut down in Odisha for road widening projects, such as the Sambalpur-Chhatisgarh section of NH-6 and the four-laning of Bhubaneswar-Puri road.
In response to concerns raised by environmentalists about the felling of full-grown trees for road widening projects, the state forest department has categorized tree translocation into different standards based on the suitability of different trees. The translocation of younger trees with smaller girths and less dense crowns is considered more cost-effective and falls under standard 1, while the translocation of established or middle-aged trees with larger girths and denser crowns involves significant cost implications.
While there is a lack of species-specific research on standardizing tree translocation techniques, forest department officials have suggested that November and December are the most favorable months for translocating large trees, taking into account the survival of translocated trees and the success stories of previous translocation attempts. The process involves protecting the root ball while pruning the wider roots, requiring engineering and arborist skills for effective implementation.
The SOP also advises against translocating trees during the rainy season, as it becomes challenging to keep recently transplanted large trees stable. Transplanting may also be done after the leaves of the selected tree fall but before winter conditions set in when the tree is naturally in a dormant stage.
While the forest department believes in the feasibility of tree translocation, environmentalist Jaykrushna Panigrahi from Odisha disagrees. He argues that tree translocation is not a practical option in Indian climatic conditions due to its high cost. He suggests focusing on preserving mature trees and ensuring the survival of planted saplings rather than resorting to tree translocation.
