Urban News

Considering the low survival rate and ‘misuse’ of saplings during the plantation drives, the VMC has decided to keep a check on the distribution system by maintaining a register. Similarly, the Forest Department has decided to conduct a random checking of the saplings planted by NGOs and others. This monsoon, each organisation and institute will have to give full details about the number of saplings taken from civic body’s nursery.

“We have noticed that NGOs and certain inviduals don't take care of saplings after planting them. We would like to tell people that growing a tree is like raising a kid. That's why we are taking the details this time, so that we can verify how many saplings are planted on World Environment Day and how many of them survive,” said Range Forest Officer M R Gadhvi.

The VMC, on the other hand, has decided to urge people not to rush for plantations. “The logic is simple. The saplings would survive only if they get proper rains in the initial stage. On June 6, which is World Environment Day, there is no sign of monsoon. So, if plantation is done before the monsoon sets properly, chances are that the saplings would die due to extreme heat. Every year, we distribute about 25,000 saplings but the survival rate is about 15 per cent. If the sapling is about one year old then there are good chances of survival, but if young saplings are planted then the survival rate is very low,” said V R Chikhalia, Director of Parks and Gardens, VMC. 

Chikhalia added that another important aspect is space available to grow trees. “With the growing construction works, little space is available for plantation of saplings. So, when organisations undertake massive plantation drive, they have to consider the space available. Haphazard plantations may affect the survival of the saplings.”