How One Man Single-Handedly Saved Over 5000 Trees In Hyderabad

Could you imagine a world where construction wasn’t permitted, until every single tree that was being cut down as part of the project, was transplanted elsewhere? A certificate of sorts, that would only make it a legal construction site, once every tree was accounted for? Ramachandra Appari’s company Green Morning Horticulture Services Pvt Ltd, aims to make that a reality someday, and at the rate he’s going, it doesn’t seem impossible.

Based in Hyderabad, the company started in January 2010, after Ramachandra witnessed the felling of several trees due to a road widening project. Armed with an Agriculture Master’s, and an MBA in Agri-Business, he knew there had to be a solution which led him to Australia, where tree translocation was commonly practiced.

A machine had been developed, that allowed Australia to complete the whole process without any manual interference. Ramachandra says wistfully, “The machine they use in Australia costs a good 70 to 80 lakhs. It’s not like I couldn’t find funding for the machine, I’m sure people would help sponsor it, as we are doing good work for the environment. The problem lies in the difference in terrain.” He goes on to explain that Indian soil, or rather speciically Hyderabad soil, tends to be rockier, as compared to the loose soil that is abundant in Australia. The blades of the machine would not be able to penetrate through the soil. Besides that, India also has plenty of electric wires running underground.

However, Ramachandra wasn’t put off by this revelation. He decided to go forward with his own solution, and divided the process into three parts. First, the roots would be picked out manually, by digging up the earth around it. Bits of the roots that were cut off, would be treated with chemical hormones to boost their growth. Second, the tree would be lifted using a crane. Finally, it would need to be transported using trailers.

To test this process, he managed to land the company’s first project (noncommercial) prior to the construction of a medical college in Hyderabad. The Government quarters in that area were demolished, but the families who used to live there, had grown trees, in their respective backyards. After convincing one family, he carried out his plan of action successfully.

On a commercial scale, the Hyderabad Metro Rail was his first project, which was coming up towards the end of 2010. Almost 6000 trees were in the way, and Ramachandra helped transplant 800 of these trees. After this project, there was no stopping him, for not only did the project give him much needed visibility, people began to talk about the good work he was doing. “Since it was right on the road, the process led to lots of questions. People would stop to ask me about the trees, about the process behind it, and why we were doing it,” Ramachandra says, happily.

Although the process seems like quite the effort, it only takes two days to complete the process, for one tree. In fact, the more trees there are, the better. Ramachandra confesses, “There is no specific duration or cost. Each case is different because it depends on the size of the tree, the number of trees and the distance to be covered. In the end it all comes down to the client’s needs. Everything else follows, accordingly.”

Till date, the man says his most fulfilling project remains a mass transplantation during a road widening project near Hyderabad. “There were 700 trees that the Kanha Shanti Vanam adopted, and the project had a 90% success rate!” he says, barely concealing his glee. As of now, the company is at a standstill due to the onset of summer. The temperature is a major deterrent, and affects success rates. “We will lay low for three months, unless it is an emergency,” says Ramachandra.

From working at a private sector bank, to helping save the planet — talk about a major job upgrade. If you’d like to know more about this initiative, or need help transplanting a tree, you can find Ramachandra Appari on Facebook.