Residents convinced Chennai corporation to replace the cement platforms with porous net slabs
A worker fixing netted cement slabs around the trees to allow rain water, on the New Avadi road in Anna Nagar (Photo: DC)
Chennai: After a sustained campaign to save roadside trees from premature death, residents of Anna Nagar have finally convinced Chennai corporation to replace the cement platforms built around the trees with porous net slabs.Nearly five years after repeated complaints about roadside trees dying because the cement platforms built around them were preventing percolation of rainwater, Chennai corporation has begun fixing netted cement slabs around trees in Anna Nagar.
“Most of the platforms in Anna Nagar were built three years back and the problem was noticed only after that. In some areas, the cement platform was constructed leaving one foot diameter around the roadside tree,” says N. Ramalingam, one of the residents of Y block in Anna Nagar. He adds that there were complaints that mud from the exposed area made the platforms dirty. Following this, the cement structure was constructed closer to the trees, he adds. Kamala Nathan of 13th Main Road says, “This didn’t allow water to percolate, making the trees dry up and look dull. There were incidents where some branches of the trees dropped off and small trees fell”.
The locals submitted several petitions to the local body officials in this regard.An official from Anna Nagar zone says, “Constructing platforms around the trees was practised across the city. The corporation decided to change the system and ordered to fix netted cement slabs last year.” He says, “Steps were immediately taken and a few portions around the tree were removed and cement slabs were fixed. It cost between Rs500 and Rs1,000 per tree depending on the size of the tree and number of cement slabs required – not to mention the labour cost.”
The work, which has been on full swing for the past six months, has been completed on 13th Main Road, Z Block, Y Block, F Block, Taylor’s Road, a few parts of Purasawalkam, Santhi Colony, 6th Avenue and 2ndAvenue. Attention is paid to bus route roads and works have been completed on MTH Road and Coonoor high road, the official said. Nearly 50 per cent of the platforms in Anna Nagar – 8th Zone – has been completed, said the official, adding that the second phase will be completed in the next two months. “Though it takes time to fix the slabs and paint them, instruction is given to just remove the cement structure close to the trees for rainwater to percolate,” he adds.
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