Self-watered” tree guards will keep saplings planted in the steel city safe from animals and also conserve water.

Tata Steel’s utility wing, Jusco, has introduced the new tree guards as a pilot project in Jubilee Park and after testing the guards will be replicated in other parts of the city.

“These are multi-stage, self-watering tree guards that offer deep-root irrigation and protect planted saplings of minimum 1m height. We have got this concept from a Nagpur firm, Rainbow Greeners, who have installed the facility and have patented it as Rakshak self-watering tree guard,” said an official in Jusco’s horticulture unit.

The Rakshak is made of weatherproof canvas covered by PVC tube and has a rubber seal/sieve at the bottom. The seal/sieve holds the tube and the tree trunk tightly and makes a waterproof seal. The seal has wicks/drippers at the bottom to take the water in a slow and efficient manner.

The flexible tube stores water for up to 15-20 days and gradually moisturises the root of the tree.

“The pricing is significantly less than the conventional metal tree guards and with its deep-root irrigation system wherein water is injected into the root zone of the plant without any wastage. It does need watering for more than 15 days after filling the tube, which leads to water conservation,” said the Jusco horticulture official.

Metal tree guards have other problems as well.

“We have seen how the metal tree guards are being pilfered and stolen by miscreants for being sold as scrap. However, this tube will deter miscreants as it will not fetch much as scrap. The tubes will be extracted after two years when the trees have matured,” said a Jusco official.

Jusco spokesperson Sukanya Das said: “We are using this new technology in Jubilee Park and after testing we might use it in other green lungs specially along roadsides. It prevents damage to plants and conserves water.”