Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh: In order to save four Peepal trees in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada district, an MLA from Penamaluru- Bode Prasad,on Sunday night took it upon himself to translocate the heavy trees with the help of cranes, according to a Deccan Chronicle report.

The trees were moved to a place near Tadigadapa Bridge at the MLA’s personal expense. Earlier, it was located along the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam highway. Locals and police helped the workers in completing the translocation process.

The workers first uprooted the trees by digging a four-foot deep hole at a distance of four feet from the trunk. While lifting the trees, they made sure that the root system would not be damaged. Then it was loaded on a truck to get transported to Bandar Canal Bund near Tadigadapa Bridge and planted in a deep pit.

Prasad, who saved the trees, said, “those trees had been around me since my childhood, and I was saddened at the thought of them being axed. Officials were cutting trees without even thinking of alternatives to save them.”

He also said that trees like Peepul, Banyan, Indian beech (Kanuga), and cluster fig trees (Juvvi) could grow even if only a small bit of the root system was left. He further requested the officials to think about cutting down trees for road construction more sensitively.

His effort has been praised on social media, with many saying that he had set an example for others to follow.

The trees were getting axed for the widening of the roads. Thousands of trees along the 60 km stretch of the road have already been cut down. The four trees, rescued by the MLA, were also scheduled to get cut by the officials.