Among the tall
and robust tree found in our surrounding
the Neem
is one of among the tallest tree,
whose all parts starting from its
leaves, seeds, bark, trunk and its existence in the
locality provides a benefits for people in several ways like providing natural treatment for skin
ailment of people, ensuring livelihood (through
its seed and oil extracted from it,) besides
providing bio fertilizer/insecticide to farmers, and
enriching the surrounding by providing much needed oxygen
and purifying the air.
In the
earlier days one of the major thoughts dominated among the minds of people was
to think good and take steps for the benefits of common people and Community at large, so that they would get punya. Keeping
this consideration people would
plant trees on both sides of the road so
that in summer a traveler would not get
exhausted due to sun-rays and would get enough shade to take shot break or rest
there.
In earlier
days there were hardly any motor vehicles and people either used to move by walking or by bullock cart.
Prior to
independence ,even though princely states ruled by King was prevalent here and the King was ruling his states.Besides other
steps , a lot of trees had been planted lot of Neem trees on both sides of roads
which was not cut by people due to fear
of Kings ‘s authority and otherwise. With the passage of time these trees had
grown into big size .According to an
estimate, there were around 250 neem trees in
one stretch from Balangir to sonepur five decades ago.
While it
takes around 30 to 40 years to grow such a size of neem tree, it takes hardly
few days for this harsh death of neem tree. The forest department official role
in protecting and guarding has been not “encouraging.
As Neem is a
useful tree. People would un-bark for treatment skin disease and the neem flower
would be consumed by people which also cured skin ailments naturally. However
unscrupulous people are cutting the neem trees just above the roots and setting
fire and a few days later the tree collapsed. The painful existence –half
burned yet providing all the benefits to people like shade, fruits, bark and shade to birds is overlooked by the highly educated and
sensible Eco friendly individual.
Even as in
the whole world there is a growing demand for neem tree and its product,
yet neem trees are facing the ordeal –
all this when everybody is passing through it in glistening coal tar road with
great speed-Will anybody look into it?
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