Madurai Marks Conservation of 107-Year-Old Banyan Tree

Key facts

• Environmental activists and local students celebrated the 107th birthday of a banyan tree in Madurai as part of a 'Green Nature Festival'.
• The tree is the last remaining centenarian tree in the immediate locality, after at least seven other banyan trees were removed for road expansions and park construction.
• The event was organised by the Water Body Protection Movement and other public welfare trusts, led by founder Abubakar.
• Participants including students from Rajaji Middle School cut a cake, distributed sweets, and took an oath to protect nature.
• The tree serves as a nesting ground for crows, pigeons, and cuckoos but faces threats from burning garbage, branch cutting by electricity board workers, and noise pollution from firecrackers.
• In a separate incident, a 200-year-old banyan tree collapsed in the Kulithalai area of Karur district, damaging two vehicles.