Bengaluru: Mysuru, an air-conditioned city till recently, is fast losing the tag, thanks to a steady rise in mercury. The confirmation of rising temperature in the city came recently when it touched an unprecedented 39.8 degrees Celsius mark.
Mysuru has now joined a list of cities that have seen rising temperatures because of man-made crises. Old timers of Mysuru recall green canopies on almost all roads in the city that kept the weather cool despite scorching summers.
But the green canopies are going, thanks to government’s “development” agenda. Unfortunately, the voice of green activists has been silenced by politicians and civic authorities.
Mysuru, rated the cleanest city in the country under the Swachh Bharat Abiyaan, was known for its greenery, broad footpaths and, of course, salubrious weather. But the decline in weather has been noticeable in the last 10-15 years.
Thousands of trees have been cut in the last decade for road-widening, formation of new layouts and other development works. Historians say rulers and dewans of encouraged planting of trees to ensure greenery and clean air to its citizens.
But due to lack of foresight of officials, trees are becoming the first casualty of ‘reckless’ development. Recently, the Mysuru City Corporation authorities took up widening of Dhanvantri and Ramanuja Roads and cut hundreds of trees.
Even around the famous Mysuru Palace, one hardly gets to see trees anymore. A number of age-old trees planted by the maharajas on Sayyaji Rao Road were axed in the name of ‘Raja Marga’, an unscientific project being executed at a cost of crores of rupees by the city corporation.
MCC helpless?
A senior officer of the Mysuru City Corporation said there is a lot of pressure on them to widen roads to accommodate increasing number of vehicles for which they have to cut trees. Tree plantation has taken a backseat due to lack of maintenance.
Shock in store
A real shock is yet to come for Mysureans as over 2,000 trees have been marked for felling from Mysuru to Gundlupet for the widening of National Highway 218. Already, the work of axing trees has begun and the whole stretch of road will have no trees on either side soon.
Trees under threat
Dr Vasanthkumar Mysoremath, a social activist, thinks that trees of Mysuru are facing a grave threat from the urban civic body. “When roads are laid, no space is given for percolation of water resulting in slow death of trees. Besides, increased vehicle population is adding harmful green gases to the environment.
The forest department must not allow the corporation to cut trees. We don't want Mysuru to go the Bengaluru way,” he said. Mr K.A. Kushalappa, a retired IFS officer, said, "The green cover is vanishing due to lack of foresight of city planners. Trees that are more than 70-80 years old are being felled mercilessly
without understanding its impact on the city. Lack of tree cover has led to rising
temperature in the city,” he said.
