Between Kelambakkam and Kovalam lies a four-kilometre road, curled up like a bloated boa constrictor. For most motorists, this winding road signifies just an exciting drive either to ECR or OMR, two arterial roads that it connects.
For nature lovers, it provides a striking view of the backwaters, which during winter, would attract birds and birders.
So, if you have missed a stately Portia tree (poovarasan in Tamil) on the way, you are part of the majority. Most passers-by miss it. It forms a natural facade for a heritage building, striking with its tiled and saddle-back roof. Yet, it is likely to be ignored.
However, if you pause to read its back-story, you will marvel at its location.
The Portia tree has a natural connection with salt: It has salt high-tolerance, which means it can withstand soil salinity. Not too long ago, this section was known for its salt pans. Similarly, it has a built-in “bulwark” against the salinity that comes wafting in the air from the sea.
This tree seems to be an apt symbol for the kind of thinking that should go into tree-planting — matching trees with conditions that are best suited for them, or conditions that they will prove equal to.
There should be more such trees along the coast.
Fortunately, efforts seem to be under way to have salt-resistant trees planted on East Coast Road.
The Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) has planted thespesia populena, tabebuia rosea and millingtonia hortensis saplings on certain sections of East Coast Road.
“Over 600 thespesia populnea trees have been planted starting from Vadanemili; 1,200 tabebuia rosea trees have been planted from the Tamil Nadu tourism hotel to the Mahabalipuram bus stand; 500 millingtonia hortensis trees have also been planted from Kovalam to Vadanemili,” says V. Ramkumar, senior manager, landscaping, TNRDC.
Shobha Menon, founder-trustee, Nizhal, says that thespesia populnea do well in a variety of conditions, and this conviction springs from the fact that she saw thespesia trees hold out well in water-logged conditions.
She further explains, “Nizhal volunteers are engaged in a work to green MRTS stations. Thespesia trees have withstood heavy water-logging conditions at the planting sites along the Taramani, Perungudi and Velachery MRTS stations.”
