Have had the tree and environment subject close to my heart for many years and I still do. But as the title reads, there has been a realization that trees also need to be cut at times in the city!
Can trees not be relocated instead of cutting?
Yes, but in most cases in the city, they cant be too. This is because we dont have the experts with skills needed, nor the equipment to efficiently transplant! So making a farce of it is useless. Past experience has shown that its almost never successful. The transplanted trees die quickly.
So is transplantation failure a bad situation?
No, not actually! This is because of a fact that I have been observing about street trees for a few decades. They grow from saplings to trees quickly and happily. This is the factor which needs to drive the eco warriors more than just sticking to 'conservation only' thought process! Definitely this doesn't mean the authorities get a free hand to cut trees rampantly everywhere. However wherever its absolutely necessary, felling trees need to be allowed for the general good.
what defines 'absolute' necessary conditions for tree cutting?
When trees become hazardous: Yes, trees age and die. They also get diseases and in such conditions they endanger people. Hence there is absolutely no option than cutting them.
The most important reason why trees need to be cut in large numbers is situations related to road engineering. I specifically emphasize engineering word because there is a definite purpose to the action. Traffic issues which are plaguing the city is in most cases a road engineering issue. This is not about road widening in general. Basic principles of road design have been missed for a long time like uniform lane widths, improper entry/exits etc. This needs to be corrected and to do this some trees need to be sacrificed.
One such instance is in the airport road stretch between mekhri circle and windsor manor bridge. If there can be the worst example of bad road engineering in the world, this could as well be the one!
- Forced U turn on main carriage way (cauvery jn)
- Narrow 'magic' underpass and bridges
- varied road widths across the section
To fix this stretch:
- The temporary magic underpass and bridges on this stretch need to be removed first.
- Palace grounds land acquired need to be cleared of the trees
- Roads need to be redesigned
- Short well designed bridges to be built
While doing this, places and number of new trees to be planted need to be identified. The same number of tree saplings need to be set aside and nurtured at the nearest govt nursery (gkvk?) So once the road work is completed in say 2-3 years..we will be able to plant 3-4 year old trees which can survive better and grow faster. This can easily become the blue print for all road interventions in the city.
However this needs to be done asap as its not just enough that we have a swanky T2 open at the airport. People also need the confidence to reach the airport in-time everytime! Again back to the trees, they are the most generous species on earth and they will adapt as needed, when planned well. Lets do justice to them.
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