One of the Tolly Club trees that Samir Santra has treated with the dead branches stacked at its base. Picture by Pabitra Das

The Tollygunge Club’s pest-infected trees have found a doctor in a karate black belt from East Midnapore. Thanks to Samir Santra and his band of boys, several rain trees (Khirish) in the club that were once dying have sprung new leaves.

The club authorities had turned to the 39-year-old from Khejuri after 10-12 trees “strong enough to resist an Aila” were badly affected by white flies around nine months ago.

They had first contacted the forest department, the Calcutta Municipal Corporation and the Singapore Botanic Gardens for help. “Nobody seemed to be moving. There was total inaction. I did not get any response from Singapore. These are magnificent trees and everyone was worried,” said Bonani Kakkar, a nature lover who is a member of the club.

This was when Santra, a karate club secretary with a passion for tree conservation, met Gaurav Pundir, an ex-forester who is the Tolly Club’s golf superintendent.

“I asked Santra what he was planning to do. He explained that he would prune the affected branches and then spray an anti-fungal agent on the tree,” said Pundir.

The results of the process are starting to show. “The trees in the parking lot sprouted leaves within a week of being treated. Santra and his helpers seem very knowledgeable. I wish we had found them earlier,” said Kakkar.

Several other trees in sprawling compound have since benefited from the attention of Santra. Helping him in the project are people he has selected from his village.

So how did Santra learn to heal trees? “Some residents of our village used to collect gum from the branches of Khirish trees and sell it. By observing them, I learnt about the insects. They affect the tree’s photosynthesis, leading to its gradual death,” he explained.

He does not charge a fee for his services but takes away the dead branches, from which gum is extracted and sold.

Team Santra has earlier worked on tree conservation projects for the Calcutta Improvement Trust (around Rabindra Sarobar), Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation and the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (around Tollygunge and Ballygunge).

According to Santra, the disease affecting the club trees is killing rain trees on VIP Road near the airport, in the compounds of IIM Calcutta and Victoria Memorial and inside Fort William.

After wrapping up his work at the club, Santra plans to take up projects for the Calcutta Municipal Corporation, reviving trees in Rabindra Kanan and Deshapriya Park.