Conocarpus trees planted for beautification impact health, environment

Conocarpus is categorised as mangroves and belongs to the Combretaceae family. It has been found that Conocarpus trees can break through hard soil and even drainage pipes, extending deep into the ground.

Planting Conocarpus saplings was encouraged under the Haritha Haram programme in Hyderabad. However, many states have banned the plant across the country.

Authorities in urban areas showed interest in planting these saplings due to their high growth rate, while others planted these trees for gardening purposes. It is reported that pollen grains from Conocarpus trees spread in the air, causing health problems for people. In response, the municipalities of Mancherial and Bellampalli removed Conocarpus trees planted in the middle of dividers on main roads. Recently, the Karimnagar corporation also cut down Conocarpus plants at several locations in the city.

Some individuals who intended to plant Conocarpus trees have abandoned their plans following adverse reports about these plants.

The state government has issued a circular instructing officials of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) not to encourage the planting of Conocarpus saplings in local plantations under the Haritha Haram programme since 2022.

These plants are known for their fast growth and thick foliage, which provide a lush appearance. Even gram panchayats showed interest in planting these trees to enhance greenery in their villages and become the best Gram Panchayats (GPs). These plants were also raised in village nurseries under Haritha Haram. However, there are complaints that these trees block water and drainage pipes.

Mancherial municipal chairman A. Maruthi Prasad stated that they have cut down Conocarpus trees planted on medians four years ago along various main roads following complaints. He mentioned that Conocarpus trees would regrow from the remaining roots even after being removed from the ground.

He added that these trees grow tall and thick, blocking the lighting of streetlights on the ground or sides. Maruthi Prasad also noted that the ministry of municipal administration issued a circular to municipalities advising against planting Conocarpus trees. He mentioned that recently, municipality authorities removed Conocarpus trees in Jagtial. They have not yet decided whether to keep the trees three feet tall, as they will not reach the flowering stage, or to remove them completely.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan previously claimed that he had planted Conocarpus trees at his farmhouse and later removed them after discovering their negative effects on human health. The AP government has reportedly banned the planting of Conocarpus saplings.

The GHMC issued a circular banning the planting of Conocarpus trees following research in 2022 that revealed their adverse impact on the environment and human health.

These trees are also planted on national highways in Telangana. Boodida Mallesh, former sarpanch of Nagaram village in Manthani of Peddapalli district, stated that they had removed Conocarpus trees after learning about their ill effects. He mentioned that they had even raised Conocarpus saplings in the nursery maintained with funds from MGNREGA. It was learned that many gram panchayats planted these trees under Haritha Haram and received awards for maintaining greenery and beautifying their villages.

Assistant professor E. Narasimha Murthy, a botanist at Satavahana University, stated that planting a monoculture of trees like Conocarpus can cause ecological imbalance. He suggested that the government should encourage local varieties of plants instead of foreign species like Conocarpus. He added that these plants also cause health problems such as respiratory issues and allergies.

He noted that the earlier government encouraged planting Conocarpus on main roads from Kazipet to Bhuvanagiri and in Ramagundam and Godavarikhani. Local authorities pruned Conocarpus trees before they reached the flowering stage to mitigate their impact.