Maharashtra govt notifies methods to determine age of trees to get ‘heritage’ tag

NAGPUR: The Maharashtra government’s ministry of environment and climate change on Thursday issued methodologies to determine the age of trees, so they can be given the heritage status. In the absence of any methodology at the local level, there is confusion among authorities and many age-old trees are felled.

On July 6, the state government amended the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Preservation & Protection of Trees Act, 1975, giving ‘heritage’ status to 50-year-old trees, besides requiring that felling of more than 200 trees will need a state-level committee nod.The 1975 Act is applicable in the jurisdiction of municipal corporations and councils.
On Thursday, the state environment ministry headed by Aaditya Thackeray notified criteria and methods to determine the age of the heritage trees.
According to Method I, the age of the trees can be determined on the basis of written records indicating the year of plantation. If such a record is not available, then the age of the trees can be determined with the help of recorded witness testimony.
As per Method II, the age can be determined by multiplying the diameter of the tree by species-specific growth factor. To arrive at the diameter, the tree’s circumference is to be measured in inches using tape at about four-and-a-half feet above the ground. The circumference is to be divided by 3.14 to find the diameter of the tree. Estimate the age of the tree by multiplying the diameter by the growth factor.
Method III includes the use of an increment borer instrument. This method being new, it needs to be executed under the expert guidance of local forest officials till the time expertise is developed by local tree authority. Increment borers are used to determine the ages and growth rates of trees and for the evaluation of wood properties.