The Ancient Baobab and Iconic Tree in Dar-es-Salaam may soon get chopped off from city landscape
Dar-Es-Salaam Chainsaw Massacre
You won’t find many Baobab Trees in Dar-es-salaam but even the lone one at the city center will soon undergo a chainsaw death because a red “X” mark, signaling ‘to be chopped’ has already been sprayed on its huge trunk.
The baobab tree is probably the oldest member of the city flora ecosystem, according to the local residents.
Veterans believe the tree could have seen an entire century elapse under its branches.
The ‘Mbuyuni,’ baobab is now coming to the end of the road because a new road is supposed to be built where the tree currently stands.
The Tanzania Business Insight (TBI) wrote that the infrastructural development is to pave way for a new track for the ongoing expansion of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in the commercial city striding the Indian Ocean.
The massive tree at Mbuyuni area of Dar es Salaam is located at Oysterbay area right in the middle of the path of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit track along Ali Hassan Mwinyi road.
Now, it seems the tree is so old and prominent, that even a primary school and bus stand in the area were named after it.
This means that the Mbuyuni Primary School and Mbuyuni bus stand could soon lose the iconic landmark, which is the ‘Mbuyu’ (Baobab) tree that they were both named after.
The ongoing BRT project has already witnessed a chainsaw massacre of hundreds of royal palm trees that were planted in the middle of the Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road to complement the city’s greenbelt.
However, while palm trees can be replanted, the endangered baobab tree that faces the chop cannot and could be lost forever.
A red X mark has been painted in the middle of the trunk of the tree, suggesting that it has been condemned for removal.
The sizable trunk circumference of the baobab suggests that the tree could be quite old.
This makes the tree significant enough to warrant protection from wanton destruction.
It is unclear if the Lawyers’ Environmental Action Team (LEAT) or any other public interest environmental group in Tanzania is even aware of the pending felling of the tree.