Tree marking

As part of a survey of the Galaxy Master Plan, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Government of India, has been marking and numbering trees. The standard procedure is to remove some bark and paint the number on the cleared skin of the tree. However, an Aurovilian arborist has pointed out that this is “a practice generally avoided unless you want to damage or kill a tree”. He advises that this work should be done, as had already been done in Auroville, using GIS which can very accurately geo-locate the position of each tree. It is reported that the CPWD is now adopting this approach.