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Even though Goa is an abode of lush vegetations and greenery, its green cover has been disappearing persistently off late. It can be attributed to rampant construction and road expansions in the state, which contributed to the felling of hundreds of banyan trees all over Goa. This brutality meted out to the environment made Sanober Durrani, a civil-and-environmental-engineer-turned-environmental specialist-and-consultant to start a project called the Goa Banyan Project. The Project aims to build awareness about these magnificent trees and help citizens understand their importance in their neighbourhoods.
Sanober Durrani has been living in Goa since 2013...
As someone living in Goa since 2013, she has noticed that the green cover in the state has rapidly declined. So, in order to keep track of the banyan trees that are still there in the state, she began the process of identifying and documenting them whenever she spotted them. She has also deciphered a system of marking them, in order to distinguish one from the other.
How are banyan trees important for the environment?
Let us get to the importance of banyan trees for the environment! Besides the banyan trees preventing soil erosion through its secondary and tertiary roots, they also absorb carbon from the atmosphere, whilst providing a home and shade for many animals and birds in its vicinity.
How does the initiative work?
If someone identifies a banyan tree in their neighbourhood, he or she should click a photo and record the time and location of the same. Then they should describe the state of the tree through 3 tags – Red, if the tree is in danger, near the road or in the way of power lines; Green, if the tree is safe; and Blue if they are unsure about the state of the tree. After they are done marking, it’s time to upload the pictures on Facebook or Instagram and tag Goa Banyan Project in the photo. They can also email her at goabanyanproject@gmail.com.
Geo-tags for banyan trees...
The data collected is given to the Living Heritage Project that geo-tags heritage trees in Goa, thereby helping citizens make a small effort in saving these magnificent trees from being cut down randomly.
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