Over a year on, transplanted trees at Raman Thangal Lake in Sholinganallur stand dead
Morning walkers circle Raman Thangal Lake in Sholinganallur, but instead of the shade promised by rows of transplanted trees, they are greeted by a line
Morning walkers circle Raman Thangal Lake in Sholinganallur, but instead of the shade promised by rows of transplanted trees, they are greeted by a line of lifeless trunks. Over a year after nearly 95 trees, most of which were mature adult trees, were relocated there by the Highways Department during road widening works, most have failed to survive. The transplantation was carried out between March and May 2025 after the Highways Department relocated several trees to facilitate the widening of the ECR between Akkarai and Thiruvanmiyur.
A recent visit to the lake found rows of dead trunks with no signs of fresh leaves, shoots or new growth, indicating that most of the trees had dried up after transplantation. Tree transplantation and compensatory plantation are commonly undertaken as mitigation measures when infrastructure projects require the removal of mature trees. However, environmentalists point out that transplantation can succeed only if the trees receive intensive aftercare for several months after they are moved. T.D. Babu of Nizhal, a Chennai-based environmental organisation, said, “The place has become a graveyard of trees.
The location itself is good because it is next to a waterbody, so water availability should not have been a problem. But there are no new leaves, shoots or sprouts.” Babu explained that transplantation places trees under severe stress because a significant portion of their root system is damaged during excavation and relocation. After transplantation, they require growth promoters, anti-fungal treatment, organic manure and regular watering to maintain soil moisture. “They should be monitored until they put out new leaves. At the very least, they need careful maintenance through one full summer,” he said.
Environmentalists say the District Green Committee should periodically review tree transplantation projects to monitor survival rates and fix accountability where maintenance has been neglected. They say that agencies responsible for transplantation should be held accountable when trees die due to poor aftercare. An official from the Highways Department acknowledged the issue and said the matter would be looked into.
The BriefWire