KOLKATA: Those who often find excuses to chop trees that create some sort of trouble for them should take a lesson from this small-time trader in the Golf Green area. Raju Shome, the tea stall owner, has been keeping a strict vigil over the well-being of two trees he had planted around his stall. While one of the trees is an eight-year old Krishnachura, the other one, a Bakul, was planted in 2018 when Shome himself collected the sapling during an afforestation drive in Golf Green.
Shome still remembers the day (May 20, 2020) after mighty Amphan had wreaked havoc on the greenery of Golf Green area. “To my horror, I found scores of full-grown trees lying uprooted. Then I found my Bakul leaning dangerously. I made it a point to save it at all costs. Today, I feel satisfied that it is not only still alive but growing,” Raju said. However, the tendency among a section of businessmen to chop trees sometimes pains the tea vendor. “It is really painful to watch a tree being chopped for small monetary gains,” he said.
