At a time when air quality across major cities, particularly Delhi, is a concern, Kolkata has taken a proactive step to preserve its “green lungs”. The city has launched Eastern India’s first-ever “Tree Ambulance” service — a free, mobile healthcare facility designed to provide on-site treatment to ailing and damaged trees in key urban pockets.
The unit will be run by botanists, forestry experts, gardeners, volunteers and tree surgeons, and will respond to citizen calls for assistance. Residents can report sick or damaged trees through a helpline, following which the ambulance will be dispatched for inspection and treatment.
The Tree Ambulance is designed to help preserve existing green cover, especially trees along major roads and in developing neighbourhoods. It will offer immediate treatment for diseased or infested trees, specialised procedures for hollow trunks, and interventions for physical damage. Its services will focus on improving soil conditions, restoring nutrient balance and protecting trees from external harm.
The ambulance will also provide first-aid for plants, seed banking, seed-ball distribution, planting uprooted trees, distributing saplings, assisting in tree-shifting, conducting tree surveys and removing dead or dangerous trees.
Explaining the need for such a service, a KMC official said, “There are a lot of challenges in urban areas. Issues like concrete around tree bases, pollution, and construction damage are common in city environments, making it difficult for trees to survive.” The official added that the ambulance would also help replant uprooted trees and support their recovery.
The concept is not entirely new. India’s first Tree Ambulance was launched in Chennai on May 27, 2019, by then Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. Dr K Abdul Ghani, known as the “Green Man of India”, is regarded as the founder of the Chennai initiative. The Kolkata unit will similarly rely on modern scientific methods for urban tree conservation.
“The launch of this service in Kolkata will help preserve the city’s essential green lungs and promote scientific methods for urban tree conservation,” another official said.