In what could be a very original idea to conserve forest, hundreds of women tied 'rakhis' on trees in the Budharaja forest in Sambalpur town on 'Raksha Bandhan' day this year, vowing not to allow any harm to the green till their last breath.

The women, a large number of whom are college students, converged on the reserve forest atop the Budhuraja hillock on August 24 and took an oath after tying the rakhis to protect their 'tree-brothers' like they would protect their blood-brothers.

The idea is the brain wave of 'Budharaja Surakhsa Samity' which has been trying to protect the forest from the axes of timber mafia for a long time, but without much of a success.

Noted environmentalist Rushi Patra told PTI that the 'experiment' was first tried in 2008 with modest success, but in the following two years it caught the fancy of the young and old, specially in the Sambalpur city, and from all walks of life.

Sangita, a sophomore, said, 'The tying of a rakhi on someone means you will protect him till your last breath.

Similarly tying a rakhi on a tree bestows on me the responsibility to protect my tree-brother to the best of my ability.'

Eminent citizens like former vice-chancellor of Berhampur University Professor A P Padhi and former administrator Raghunath Mishra were present during this year's 'Raksha Bandhan' celebration at the forest.