Century-Old Banyan Tree's Miraculous Revival in Telangana

A 100-year-old banyan tree, which was uprooted by estate agents so that the land could be developed earlier this year, was brought back to life by a nature lover with the help of his friends and local civic authorities in Telangana state’s Medchal Malkajgiri district.

On 30 May, an Amazon project manager, Anil Godavarthi, spotted the huge banyan tree lying by the roadside while he was on his way to his friend's village in Ghanpur.

Heartbroken to see the condition of the 100-year-old banyan tree, Godavarthi vowed to bring it back to life.

"The way the tree was left to the vagaries of weather moved me... I consulted with my friends and discussed the possibility of relocating it,” Godavarthi told Indian media.

Reviving the 100-year-old Banyan Tree

To save the 100-year-old banyan tree, Godavarthi consulted the chief coordinating officer of the Telangana State Forest Academy and also spoke to the tree plantation department of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).

Godavarthi gathered together a team of young men and prepared a rescue plan for the banyan tree.

“The entire root system of the tree was intact along with the soil but the top branches of the main tree trunk were cut. We immediately covered the roots with gunny bags and palm fronds and started watering it,” he said.

A 100-metre water pipe was used to fetch water from the nearby nursery run by Ghanpur's Gram panchayat - the local governing institution.

After nearly two weeks, the tree started sprouting leaves and this brought a ray of hope to everyone that they might still be able to revive the tree.

Mission Relocation

Godavarthi decided to replant the tree about 54km away in the village of Motakondur in the Yadadri Bhongir district where he has an acre of land.

To transport the tree such a long distance was a struggle but the HMDA authorities came to his rescue and sent a contractor to assist his team.

It was then discovered that the tree was around 100 years old.

Last month, relocation of the tree from Ghanpur to Motakondur started and it took four cranes of 12-tonne capacity to lift the banyan tree and place it on a 40-tonne truck.

“It was a difficult task. We used three more heavy cranes to move the tree from the truck and, with the help of an earth mover, we carefully placed it in the trench. Later, we filled it with cow dung and soil," he said.

Within 24 hours, the tree was transferred to Godavarthi's land where he dug an 8ft trench in which to plant it.

The revival and relocation of the 100-year-old tree cost him around INR 90,000 ($1,100).

"The banyan tree is now sprouting new branches and leaves and I am sure it will survive for many more decades,” he added.

Parliamentarian Joginpally Santosh Kumar, who founded the Green India Challenge initiative, praised the efforts of Godavarthi and the villagers and said that it is heart-warming to see the revival of this century-old tree as it now flourishes with new leaves.

"The diligent and painstaking efforts they put forth have undeniably yielded fruitful results, ultimately culminating in a truly inspiring story,” Kumar enthused.

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