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In Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, Green Birds and NCC students from VHNSN College are campaigning to remove nails from trees to protect them from nutrient disruption and infections
When nails are hammered into trees, they create entry points for bacteria and fungi, leading to the tree slowly rotting. (Local18)
Have you ever noticed advertising banners hung on trees along the roadside? Have you ever wondered how these banners are attached? Iron nails are driven into the trees to hang them. While this may seem like a simple task, these nails can be extremely harmful to the trees, and in some cases, even fatal.
A New Initiative By Youths To Protect Trees
In Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, an environmental group called Green Birds, along with NCC students from VHNSN College, have taken action to address this issue. These young activists have launched a campaign to remove the nails from trees along the roadside, aiming to protect them. As part of this initiative, they have already removed nails from many trees and worked towards restoring their health.
Seemingly Harmless Habits Can Actually Affect Trees
As children, many of us have pulled off tree bark, carved our names into them, or played with trees without realising the damage we were causing. Similarly, hammering nails into trees to hang advertisements is a harmful practice that gradually kills the trees.
Damage Caused By Iron Nails
Experts explain that a tree’s roots rely on tissues called xylem and phloem to transport water and nutrients. When nails are hammered into the tree, this process is disrupted, causing the tree to weaken and eventually fall ill.
Weakened Trees Can Collapse
Muthukrishnan, a trainer at the Young Green Activist Training Camp, explains that repeatedly hammering nails into trees weakens them over time. This can make them vulnerable to falling in strong winds or heavy rain, posing a danger not only to the environment but also to people nearby.
Infections And Decay Caused By Nails
When nails are hammered into trees, they create entry points for bacteria and fungi, leading to the tree slowly rotting. Jyoti Balan, an activist with the Green Birds organization, mentions that after removing nails, they fill the holes with turmeric and oil to prevent infection. Turmeric, being a natural antiseptic, helps protect the tree from further harm.
- Location :
Virudhunagar, India, India