700-year-old Banyan tree put on drip in Telangana

A 700-year-old Banyan tree in Mahabubnagar district was essentially brought back to life with the help of a drip. Believed to be the second biggest Banyan tree in the world, the tree is popularly referred to as "Pillalamarri" or "Peerla Marri" and is a major tourist spot.

As per the news agency ANI report, one of the branches of the Banyan tree was infected by termites and officials put drips filled with diluted pesticides to kill off the insects. 

Since last December, the tree has been kept away from the public view after one of its branches came crashing down due to the rampant termite infestation. In an attempt to get rid of the wood-destroying insects, the officials put up drips of the diluted chemical Chlorpyrifos for every two metres of the giant banyan tree, spread across three acres.

The Forest officials are also watering the roots with the diluted solution to kill the termites and building concrete structures to prevent the heavy branches from collapsing.