Rs. 42-crore action plan to conserve city's ecosystem

Rs. 42-crore action plan to conserve city's ecosystem
30 percent of population responsible for degrading ecosystem
The Hindu

BANGALORE, NOV. 12. Concerned over the degradation of green cover in Bangalore, an expert committee on the environment has suggested that the Banga­lore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) form a tree commission and for­mulate guidelines to safeguard the city's ecosystem.

The Committee on Large­scale Uprooting of Trees in Ban­galore city, headed by A.N. Yel­lappa Reddy, retired secretary, Ecology and Environment De­partment, has also recommend­ed an action plan to plant trees and establish tree parks, eco­strips and tanks at a cost of Rs. 42 crores in three years. The tree commission should plan affor­estation, maintain a database of trees and be a nodal authority for the enforcement of the Tree Act (which makes mandatory permission from the Forest De­partment for cutting down a tree).

The committee has said that the civic body, with jurisdiction over 2,190 sq. km of land, should issue guidelines to pub­lic and private institutions to es­tablish lawns, tree parks, watershed management sys­tems and so on. The BMP can also levy an "eco-cess" on those who own more than two hec­tares of land. Trees and well-de­signed vegetation mitigate bronchial disorders by 60 to 80 per cent. Low humidity for long has caused bronchial disorders in many people in the city, says the report, which was submit­ted to the civic body in October.

Referring to the action plan, the report says that an average of 12,000 trees can be planted in each ward in three years. One person should be made respon­sible for tending to 200 trees or those planted in a stretch of 2 km, and a monthly remunera­tion of Rs. 2,000 paid to him or her. The committee held 10 meetings and noticed the caus­es for tree felling in the city. They included establishment of residential colonies, construc­tion of ro\lds, sport complexes and bus stations and installa­tion of electric poles.

Who's responsible?

About 30 pef.cent of the City's population is responsible for the degradation of the greenery and ,they include owners of in­dustrial units,commercial es­tablishments, educational institutions, hospitals, hotel, re­sorts, marriage halls, builders and so on. Industrial and com­mercial establishments should be made to pay Rs. 5 a sq. m, educational institutions and hospitals Rs. 4 and apartments Rs. 2, if they do not follow the guidelines.
The committee has suggested to the civic body to rope in vol­untary organisations, multina­tional companies and Stree Shakti groups for the manage­ment of 72 minor irrigations tanks in the city. The law re­garding developing of vegeta­tion in one-third of private land should be strictly enforced and those who comply with it should be given incentives such as reduced tax. .

The civic body has to develop a plan to beautify railway tracks, highways and roads and pre­pare concept papers on envi­ronmental issues for schools, colleges, hospitals, hostels, au­ditoriums, law courts and gov­ernment offices. The health wing should identify the agen­cies using hazardous material and enforce rigid precautionary measures to dispose of the waste generated by them. The report opposes the concreting of pavements.

Among the other recommen­dations are issuing tree pattas to owners of nearby land, identify­ing sites for digging 50 tanks, and improving the public trans­port system.