KMC seeks to make up for Remal tree loss, looks for space to plant saplings
Times of India | 3 June 2024
Kolkata: After cutting and removing hundreds of uprooted trees across the city, the KMC parks department is now focusing on compensatory plantation.
According to a KMC official the civic body is looking for adequate space adjacent to the areas, which have lost a large number of trees due to the cyclone.
After consulting experts, the KMC parks department may choose species like ashok, jarul, bakul, neem, sishu (Indian Rosewood) and dwarf Radhachura (peacock flower) and Krishnachura (gulmohar) for plantation.Fruit trees like mango, jaam (Indian blackberry) and batabi lebu (pomelo), will also be planted.
A civic official said cyclone Remal had uprooted more than 500 large trees, the second-biggest green cover loss after Amphan and Aila. According to rules, the KMC parks department will need to plant 3,000 saplings as part of a compensatory planting scheme.
According to a KMC parks department official, the civic body has spotted the areas where a maximum number of full-grown trees have been uprooted.From Ballygunge to Behala-Joka belt, over 200 full-grown trees were uprooted.
“We have lost scores of full-grown trees in the Ballygunge, Lake Gardens, Golf Green, Alipore, New Alipore, Behala-Joka belt and several neighbourhoods located off EM Bypass. These areas fall under boroughs VIII, IX, X and XII and XVI. Compared to south Kolkata neighbourhoods, north Kolkata areas suffered less green cover loss,” said a KMC parks departm-ent official.
“If we don’t find sufficient space to plant saplings along major roads, we may need to find the nearest park where we will take up the plantation scheme,” said member, mayor-in-council, Debasis Kumar.
According to Kumar, an instruction has been passed on to the department officials to identify spots for the compensatory planting at the earliest.
“It will be better if we can find suitable space within a week as the saplings will get sufficient water in the ensuing monsoon,” said a KMC parks department official.