Environmentalists attribute it to Metro construction,road widening and improper planning
Picture for representational purpose
Hyderabad : Hyderabad has dropped two places to become the fifth greenest city in India and the second in South India.This has come as a major disappointment to environmentalists who attribute it to the Metro construction, road widening and improper planning, which has led to clearing of massive green cover.
Vijay Ram of Society for Awareness and Vision on Environment (SAVE), said, “The new colonies that are coming up do not implement any measures to compensate for this loss. Even if trees are being replaced, they are not going in for the traditional neem and banyan trees that last for more than 10 decades. One must not disturb the natural habitat of trees and relocate them. Also, all the pavements are concretised, not allowing rainwater to percolate into the ground, which is their only source of water.”
Till July this year, 1,357 trees were cut in Hyderabad, of which the Hyderabad Metro Rail uprooted a 1,250 and translocated 384 trees. In the last two months, more than 300-400 trees were chopped down by AP Transco. In a so-called compensation, the HMR also planted 10,000 saplings as part of a plantation drive, but at different locations.
“We ensure that whenever permissions are granted for chopping trees, we check all the pros and cons of the site. The authorities that get permission to chop these trees for developmental reasons must compensate to a great extent for this,” said O.M. Debara, member, Tree Protection Committee.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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