LADY MAYOR, SAVE THIS TREE!

The tree that needs your aid is the only surviving ‘bakmee’ tree in Colombo city. This age-old towering giant yet stands proud on the road leading from Torrington Flats to the Jathika Pola. It has withstood the road building and gentrification of the quarter now called Malalaskera Mawata. Its early life was in a marshy land in a grove of ‘timbiri’, ‘mee’, ‘maara’ and such shady giants now gone forever. This bakmee’ giant has bravely withstood an uncaring and hostile environment. Once a year it rewards our uncaring neighbourhood with a carpet of sweetly scented exotic blossoms.

The tree now struggles to stand just some inches away from the wall of house No 30/62B [see photo] I shudder to think that, before long, it will meet the fate of its long-lost companions ‘thimbiri’, ‘mee’ and ‘maara’.

Dear Lady Mayor, its salvation lies in your hands.

Deshamanya Tissa Devendra