The Times of India                17.06.2013

Plant trees, Nashik Municipal Corporation urges citizens

NASHIK: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has appealed to environment activists, educational institutions, government organizations, business houses, real estate developers, industrialists and tree lovers in general to take a greater role in planting trees in the city.

Those interested in planting trees near their houses, near commercial complexes, open spaces, playgrounds or in schools can get in touch with their division officer to seek permission, upon which they will receive the saplings and the tree guards from the NMC. Officials of the garden department said those who plant the trees will be responsible for taking care of them and watering them regularly.

S R Vanjari, the NMC's environment officer said, "We have a target of planting 50,000 trees this year." He said public participation in planting and conserving the trees would help in achieving the target and keeping the city green.

Non-governmental organizations working for the environment, like Manav Utthan Manch (MuM) and others, have often questioned why Nashik still does not have a tree authority committee. They have appealed to the NMC to form the committee at the earliest.

The civic body is, however, in no hurry to constitute the tree authority committee that was dissolved over a year ago during the civic polls. "We will see what can be done about it and will take an appropriate decision. As of now, all the garden related work is being done by following proper procedures," said an official.

The Hindu               13.06.2013

Time you put the green back in Garden City

The loss of green cover in the city is perceivable. This can obviously be felt in the increase in daytime temperatures and decrease in the number of bird species.

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) routinely makes a big song and dance about its plantation drives every year. It even plants saplings symbolically on World Environment Day each year. The BBMP supposedly planted 1.72 lakh saplings last year. However, by the BBMP’s own moderate estimation, more than 20 per cent may have died.

BBMP’s Chief Conservator of Forests Brijesh Kumar told The Hindu the civic authority would now take up “casualty replacement” this monsoon. “All the seedlings that died will be replaced. We have 7.56 lakh saplings of various species ready in the eight nurseries.”

Free saplings

On June 5 last year, the BBMP had reportedly given away 3,217 saplings for free to the citizens, besides planting 441 at Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK), Soundarya Layout, Freedom Park and H.M.T. Layout.

This time around, as part of World Environment Day celebrations, it planned for 4,380 saplings.

Monsoon plan

“This monsoon, we hope to plant 1.6 lakh saplings across the city: 40,000 each will be planted in Bommanahalli and R.R. Nagar zones, 30,000 in Yelahanka zone, 15,000 in Dasarahalli zone, 10,000 each in Mahadevapura, West and South zones and 5,000 in East zone.” Though there was emphasis on planting only indigenous species, the BBMP was not able to do so last year. “We wanted to clear the old stock, which did have exotic species. It was due to this that we did not feel the need to raise fresh saplings,” he conceded.

Mandatory planting

In a press release, BBMP commissioner M. Lakshminarayana stated that the civic body would now enforce the regulation that stipulates that two trees should be planted in sites measuring 60 ft x 40 ft, three on those measuring 50 ft x 80 ft, four in those measuring over 50 ft x 80 ft, and at least 25 per acre. This will help recharge groundwater table.

The BBMP would take up tree mapping this year and put in place a mechanism where citizens can alert the civic authority about diseased and dead trees posing a danger. The release added that an online platform for the same would be ready in three months.

BBMP will invoke old regulation on mandatory planting: Commissioner.