Unplanned tree plantation during CPI(M) regime leads to big trees being uprooted in city

Kolkata: Indiscriminate planting of tress during the previous Left Front Board in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is responsible for so many trees getting uprooted in the city in the recent times. Last Monday on October 9, with heavy rain accompanied by a wind at 40-50 km/hour lashing the city, as many as 84 trees fell down in a little more than 12 hours.

"The city has witnessed indiscriminate planting of trees like Krishnachura and Radhachura during the 80's and 90's. These trees are not deep-rooted and in the recent times, we have found such trees getting uprooted. Even on Monday, a good number of trees among the ones that had fallen were of these two variety. Added to this, we cannot deny that rapid urbanisation

leading to laying of underground cables, water pipes, drainage lines have also contributed in making the roots of the trees weak, making them

susceptible to fall," a senior official of Parks and Squares department of

KMC said.

The KMC in the last few years have adopted a planned approach when it comes to plantation of trees. "The trees that are being planted are all deep rooted ones. Most of the trees in the city are planted on footpaths.

"In places where the footpath is wide around 10 feet, we are planting trees that can grow big like Bokul, Arjun, Chalta, Neem etc. In footpaths of lesser width like 4 feet, we are planting trees like Karabi, Jarul, Kurchi etc," the official said.

Every year the civic body holds a number of meetings before starting the plantation programme that is held from July to August. The civic body presently has two horticulturists and seven botanists whose opinions are taken from time to time during plantation.

A number of Shirish trees have also fallen in the recent times because of a bacterial infection. So, the KMC is also planting a minimum number of such trees now.

When it comes to plantation in the parks or in playgrounds, trees that can grow big are being planted. "Of late, we are also planting a number of fruit trees like coconut, jackfruit, lychee and white apple in the parks and grounds.