The Times of India 21.06.2010
New KMC team chalks out green drive for city
KOLKATA: The new Kolkata Municipal Corporation board is ready to draw up plans to protect and increase the green cover of the city.
The KMC authorities will sit with forest department officials in a day or two to chalk out a comprehensive plan on this count. MMiC (parks and squares) Debasish Kumar said the process to identify spots where saplings needed to be planted would soon begin.
"The stress won't be on how many new tress have been planted. Our aim will be to protect the trees that have already been planted," Kumar said, adding that efforts would be made to save at least 85% of the existing trees in the city.
KMC also wants to revive and revamp its own nurseries. "Over the past few years, the KMC nurseries have not been functioning properly and there's been a drastic fall in the number of saplings. We may buy saplings from forest department nurseries, but we'll try to use our own resources," said Kumar.
The truth is, afforestation and tree plantation programmes are conducted every year, but the city's green cover has been shrinking rapidly. A forest department survey a few years ago had pegged the city's green cover at just 10%, while the latest estimates put this at 8%.
The MMiC and other civic leaders know that to actually make a difference, there has to be a crackdown on illegal felling of trees for construction activities and putting up billboards. The effect of this can be seen more in the suburbs, especially along VIP Road and EM Bypass, where the land shark-civic authority nexus and a total lack of planning has turned green neighbourhoods into concrete jungles.
But to stop this, a concerted effort involving various KMC departments is required. Citizens want to know if the new board is ready to take these tough measures.
Forest department officials say that despite regular plantation programmes, the lack of adequate compensatory plantation has resulted in the loss of greenery. "According to rules, at least five new trees must be planted for every tree felled, but such rules are hardly followed. Also, the forest department should be informed before trees are cut down," said an official.
The KMC authorities will sit with forest department officials in a day or two to chalk out a comprehensive plan on this count. MMiC (parks and squares) Debasish Kumar said the process to identify spots where saplings needed to be planted would soon begin.
"The stress won't be on how many new tress have been planted. Our aim will be to protect the trees that have already been planted," Kumar said, adding that efforts would be made to save at least 85% of the existing trees in the city.
KMC also wants to revive and revamp its own nurseries. "Over the past few years, the KMC nurseries have not been functioning properly and there's been a drastic fall in the number of saplings. We may buy saplings from forest department nurseries, but we'll try to use our own resources," said Kumar.
The truth is, afforestation and tree plantation programmes are conducted every year, but the city's green cover has been shrinking rapidly. A forest department survey a few years ago had pegged the city's green cover at just 10%, while the latest estimates put this at 8%.
The MMiC and other civic leaders know that to actually make a difference, there has to be a crackdown on illegal felling of trees for construction activities and putting up billboards. The effect of this can be seen more in the suburbs, especially along VIP Road and EM Bypass, where the land shark-civic authority nexus and a total lack of planning has turned green neighbourhoods into concrete jungles.
But to stop this, a concerted effort involving various KMC departments is required. Citizens want to know if the new board is ready to take these tough measures.
Forest department officials say that despite regular plantation programmes, the lack of adequate compensatory plantation has resulted in the loss of greenery. "According to rules, at least five new trees must be planted for every tree felled, but such rules are hardly followed. Also, the forest department should be informed before trees are cut down," said an official.
