Climate Change Is Killing This 430-Year-Old ¡®Baobab Tree¡¯ At Golconda Fort!
Heritage activists say senior botanists and baobab experts should do a immediate &lsquohealth check-up&rsquo of over 430-year-old tree known as Hatiyan-ka-jhad. Baobab trees do not show external signs of damage but fall suddenly due to drying up of the trunk from inside.
The ¡®elephant tree¡¯ at Golconda Fort, the biggest baobab outside Africa and Australia, is now under threat by climate change and ¡®artificial environment¡¯ induced by increased human activity in the 500-year-old fort complex.
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Heritage activists said senior botanists and baobab experts should do a immediate ¡®health check-up¡¯ of over 430-year-old tree, known as Hatiyan-ka-jhad, in view of a scientific publication last week in Nature Plants, which revealed that some of the oldest baobab trees in Africa are suddenly dying due to changes in climate. Baobabs in Africa that were healthy six months ago have died due to climate change and pollution, the scientists suspect.
Hyderabad has about a dozen baobab trees. Baobab trees do not show external signs of damage, but fall suddenly due to drying up of the trunk from inside. Apart from golf course, construction of a ¡®protection platform¡¯ with cement and bricks, and visitors climbing on its branches and entering its false cavity has robbed the giant tree of its natural environs.
Meanwhile, Pillalamarri, the great banyan in Mahbubnagar is on death bed. It is one of the biggest banyans in the world and was under the care of tourism department till it was nearly eaten by termite infestation. It was handed over to forest department and its revival became a herculean task. Golconda baobab is under the care of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
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Some of the baobabs in the city were pulled down for road widening and ORR works. They are now found in Attapur, Secunderabad Club, Ranganath temple, Vanasthalipuram, Chapel Road and Chengicherla reserve forest. All these trees are over 200-year-old.
INTACH city convener P Anuradha Reddy said the baobabs were introduced to Hyderabad by African and Arab traders, following the Surat-Machilipatnam trade route during the Qutub Shahi period and earlier Bahmani period during 15th or 16th century CE. ¡°We can find baobabs even in the northern trade route ¨C Delhi-Golconda-Machilipatnam. Baobabs are part of botanical and natural heritage of Hyderabad and they need to be protected,¡± Reddy said.
