Onslaught on trees

Trees and plants appear to be the first victims of any development work in the cities, and seldom have we watched any caution being exercised to save the greenery from such summary execution.

True, roads need to be widened and it is not surprising that certain trees and plants may have to be removed for the purpose. But what citizens might find a bit shocking is that the city planners do not act with a sense of sympathy. In the past we saw a huge number of beautiful trees being eliminated for apparently no good reason. Similarly, encroachment on parks and green patches is going on in different areas without the authorities concerned intervening to stop such activities. Even the note of dissent of the civil society is never greeted with a sense of approval, let alone appreciation.

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The onslaught on greenery is also a blatant violation of what is being preached for turning tree plantation into a social movement. There are weeks and months observed regularly to add steam to the movement. But when it comes to protecting trees, the situation is very different.

We urge the DUTP authorities to keep the tree casualties at a bare minimum while broadening the road, for the role played by trees in maintaining a wholesome atmosphere in the city needs little elaboration.