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Chennai to be twice as green by year-end

Friday, 30 August 2013 10:07 administrator
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The New Indian Express              30.08.2013 

Chennai to be twice as green by year-end

A view of Chennai city (File/EPS)
A view of Chennai city (File/EPS)

The city’s green carpet is set to double, as the Chennai Corporation has set an ambitious target of increasing it from 5.5 per cent to 11 per cent this year.

A resolution passed by Mayor Saidai Duraisamy on Thursday during the Corporation Council meeting held here also set an ambitious target of increasing the green cover in the city to 25 per cent in the next three years.

According to international norms, a city’s green cover should form 33.3 per cent of the total area.

The greening project is part of the 65th birthday celebrations of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Interestingly, the plan is to plant a symbolic number of 6.5 lakh saplings each of red sander, papaya, palmyra and nochi across the city in open spaces and in individual homes of residents.

Duraisamy said a sapling of red sander would be given to each independent house having a garden. For those who do not own independent houses and live in apartment buildings or in rented accommodation, the Corporation has come up with an ‘own a tree’ policy, whereby interested individuals can plant a sapling in the open spaces that belong to the Corporation.

The resolution laid out the greening plan thus: initially 6.5 lakh palmyra trees would be planted in the city’s entire stretch of land bordering water bodies — a total of 749 km. This will further be expanded to 20 lakh saplings in the coming years; the greening drive will help prevent soil erosion. Also, 6.5 lakh saplings of nochi would be planted along the banks of water bodies to control mosquito menace.

Similarly, in a bid to curb dengue, 6.5 lakh papaya saplings will be provided to students in government, corporation and private schools.

 

Swaying palm trees to grace Chennai

Friday, 30 August 2013 08:49 administrator
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Deccan Chronicle              30.08.2013

Swaying palm trees to grace Chennai

Chennai: The concrete jungle that is Chennai will soon have more greenery if the city corporation succeeds in its mega green cover project announced on Thursday. Under the ambitious project, 20 lakh saplings of palm tree, 6.5 lakh saplings of red sandal and another 6.5 lakh nochi plants are to be raised within the city limits.

According to the special resolution, Chennai mayor Saidai S Duraisamy said the new plantations would come up along the river banks in Chennai, covering a total distance of 740 km. Palm being the state’s tree, does not require regular maintenance or watering unlike other trees and will suit the city’s climatic condition and rainfall, the Mayor said, adding that even stray cattle would not disturb the saplings.

“The city has just 5.5 per cent of green cover and the civic body aims to double it by the end of 2013. In the years to come, more saplings will be planted to attain the 33 per cent tree cover envisaged in the National Forest Policy, 1988,” pointed out the Mayor.

“Palm tree are multi-purpose and ideal for Chennai. From the bark to the fruit it bears, everything can be used,” said D. Narasimhan, associate professor, department of botany, Madras Christian College.

“It does not occupy much place and also makes the place presentable. But the ideology of increasing green cover with palm trees is a tough task as the tree’s canopy is not large. There are many other indigenous trees which can be used to increase green cover and the corporation should also consider a few native species,” he added.

 

Greening Chennai, the native way

Friday, 30 August 2013 04:34 administrator
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The Hindu              30.08.2013

Greening Chennai, the native way

The effort is part of an initiative to increase tree cover to 33.33 per cent of the total area of the city — Photo: V. Ganesan
The effort is part of an initiative to increase tree cover to 33.33 per cent of the total area of the city — Photo: V. Ganesan

If the Chennai Corporation has its way, tree cover in Chennai could increase from 5.5 percent to 11 percent in less than a year.

At a Corporation Council meeting on Thursday, Mayor Saidai Duraisamy said that 20 lakh palmyra trees would be planted alongside waterways in the city. Work on planting of 6.5 lakh trees will start shortly, he added. The work is expected to be complete by March 2014.

The initiative is part of efforts to increase the tree cover to 33.33 percent of the area in the city. According to a study, palmyra trees were found to be suitable for climatic and civic conditions of Chennai, said Mr. Duraisamy. The Palmyra is the ‘State tree’ of Tamil Nadu.

There are 318 km of waterways in the city. Palmyra trees will be planted on either side of the Adyar, Cooum and Buckingham Canal. The trees will also be planted on the banks of 126 lakes and ponds in the city. The banks of the lakes and ponds cover a length of 113 km. “The palmyra trees planted on the banks of the waterbodies will also help reduce soil erosion. Chennai had a large number of palmyra trees in the past. Urbanisation led to disappearance of the species. We will revive it,” said Mr. Duraisamy. Palmyra does not require regular watering and would not be affected by stray cattle, he added.

Chennai Corporation will also support cooperatives that will create awareness of the benefits of neera, palm jaggery and other nutritious edible palm products.

More programmes will be formulated on promotion of eco-friendly Palmyra products to help artisans associated with such industries in the metropolitan area. 

The Chennai Corporation will also distribute 6.5 lakh red sandalwood saplings to households with land suitable for planting such trees. After the trees grow, the residents will be permitted to harvest the trees for use.

The civic body will also take efforts to facilitate statutory developments on using such trees by the residents. The residents will have to plant a sapling at the same spot five years before harvest.

Chennai Corporation will commence distribution of 6.5 lakh nochi saplings to residents as part of mosquito control initiatives. School students will receive 6.5 lakh papaya saplings shortly.

 
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