Amphan damages world’s largest Banyan tree in Howrah botanical garden

Amphan cyclone which hit West Bengal a day before International Day for Biological Diversity on Friday has severely damd world’s largest banyan tree in Howrah botanical garden.

This cyclone has also uprooted one of two ‘kalpvriksha’, having botanical name as olea cuspidata and also kwn as wild olive, brown olive or Indian olive, in Acharya Jagish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden in Howrah, Allahab-based scientist Shiv Kumar of Botanical Survey of India on Friday.

Kumar told PTI that Howrah’s botanical garden has world’s largest banyan tree d 342 years with circumference of its core stem once measuring 15 meter and that of its peripheral stem w measuring over 1.08 km, said Kumar.

core stem h been removed in 1925 and tree w stands only on its external peripheral stems, solely comprising of shoots emanating from its branches and taking roots in ground, said Kumar, who worked as a scientist in Acharya Jagish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden in Howrah from October 2006 to February 2012.

picture of tree after Thursday’s cyclone shows that Amphan has bly damd density of tree’s peripheral stem and branches, said Kumar, ding extent of exact dam could be ascertained only after its closer inspection.

Botanical Survey of India uses picture of this tree as its logo, said Kumar. banyan tree also happens to be India’s national tree.