More green for city

More green for city
The forestry wing of the BBMP has taken up some projects to increase the green cover over the city. Sai Prasanna reports


With a large number of i n f r a s t r u c - ture projects coming up in the city, it has become a priority for the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to create lung spaces. Towards this end, the forestry wing of the BBMP has taken up various projects to maintain urban forests and tree parks. S Shekar, Conservator of Forests, BBMP, says, "Earlier, urban forestry was restricted to planting trees on the roadside and in residential layouts. But this has become a problem now as the trees have grown big and pose problems."
Trees that are almost 20-35 years old obstruct roads and some like the Gulmohar are shallow-rooted and pose a danger to life and property as they can be easily uprooted during monsoons. These roots of these trees also cause cracks in compound walls and suck water from household water resources. Also, due to narrow roads, you can't have rows of trees on either side and also during the monsoons, if a livewire touches the trees, it can pose a threat to people.
Priorities of urban
forestry
Trees will be planted in the open. Vacant spaces will be developed to create tree parks like the Lakshman Rao boulevard. There will be strips of forest like tree grooves instead of trees on roadsides.
As there are many lakes in the city, foreshore planting is to be taken up to create a perfect habitat to attract birds. Birds are a good indicator of a pollution-free ambience in the city. As of now, foreshore planting will be taken up in 17 lakes in the city.
Strip planting or canal like Ficus, Pongamia, Bamboo, and Jamun will be done along storm water drains to attract birds and to beautify the locality.
Institutional planting will be done in schools, hospitals, and government buildings. This will be done free of cost in corporation schools, government hospitals, and defence areas.
Planting trees in layouts and along roadsides can be done if permitted by law, i.e. there is no underground duct or electric lines in the vicinity and the roads are wide.
Trees being planted
Pongamia, Neem, Golden Champa (sampige), Lagerstroemia (flowering) and Tabebuia will be planted by the BBMP. The idea is to select local tropical species instead of exotic ones though this kind can also be planted depending on the demand and the locality. The Raintree and Gulmohur have been eliminated from this list as the former is huge and are not fit for urban areas and the latter is shallowrooted and can easily be uprooted during the monsoons. Also, the Ficus tree needs large open spaces to grow. The funds set aside for 10 tree parks is Rs 50 lakhs. Additional funds will be sought if more tree parks are to be taken up.
Tree planting is to be taken up by the BBMP on a yearly basis. There has been great demand for the supply of seedlings from NGOs and corporates. Shekar adds, "Five lakh seedlings for public distribution are expected to be sold by August end with an expected demand for another five lakhs."
Unlike earlier when the est Department to supply seedlings for planting around the city, it is now self-sufficient to meet urban forestry requirements. The seedlings raised in nurseries helps in compensatory afforestation. He explains, "For every tree cut, two seedlings are planted in its place. Every year, approximately 1,000 trees are removed due to civic projects and almost 2,00,000 planted in their place."
There is an increasing need to create lung spaces in the city. In this regard, tree transplantation has been done by the BBMP to preserve old tree growth in the city in a short span of time.
In 2007-08, three new forest nurseries of five acres each were developed in Yelahanka (Byatarayanapura zone), Poornaprajna Layout (Rajarajeshwarinagar zone), and Bharath Nagar (Dasarahalli zone). Two old nurseries - J P Park nursery (Matthikere) and Giddenahalli nursery (Bommanahalli zone) have been upgraded (providing fences, borewells, levelling etc). Last year, about two lakh tall seedlings were raised to be planted during this monsoon season, between June and August. The estimated funds needed for both planting and the containers for the seedlings is Rs 50 crores.
The planting has already begun in all the eight zones. Last year, as opposed to a target of 1,35,000 seedlings, 1,58,000 seedlings were planted. About five lakh seedlings have been specially grown for public distribution on subsidised rates. This is to meet the demands of the local citizens (residing within the BBMP limits), NGOs, corporates, and the general public to plant on their private lands or in offices.