African BAOBAB

An effort to save two huge African BAOBAB.

Introduction.

As a part of PRAYAS Environment Awareness program, we rescued two huge African Baobab trees. ("Chor Amlo" - A local Gujarati name).

Recently the Surat Municipal Corporation started out to cut two huge African BAOBAB trees claiming that they were obstructing the road widening planning. We undertook following activities to save these precious trees.

"CHIPKO Aandolan": We had launched Chipko Aandolan by covering the trees by our volunteers. The problem was tossed up in media and the media supported us well to make it an issue and now SMC was forced to rethink the matter.

Unfortunately there is no legal body like Tree Authority in Surat nor there is any help in acts in Gujarat to help directly, and now we are getting a legal guidance to have an official stay on the proposed cutting. But, its a "fight to finish" issue for all of us, that’s fo sure.

Find here a Google image of the location, the Google image that shows how horrible the planning of the road is done. (There are two twin trees, one the either side of the proposed road and the respective girths are 45 ft. and 38 ft.)

"Awareness":On the World Forests Day (21 March) we started an awareness campaign by a gathering at the trees and local villagers doing Prayers seeking blessings of the elderly twin trees of "Chor Amlo" (in Gujarati).