Thiruvananthapuram: Tuesday’s protest against the cutting of a lone tamarind on Kunnupuram-Ayurveda College road has once again brought up the debate on whether roadside trees need to be retained. However, experts do not seem to have a consensus on the issue.
Planting trees by the roadside have certain disadvantages, according to NATPAC director B.G. Sreedevi. “Roots could damage the road. Tree branches should not be slanted towards the road. Also, water from wet branches could cause a rise in water table. The water table should be lower than the sub-grade layer by at least 50 cm. If the subgrade soaks in water for three days, its strength can be affected,” she says.
The Indian Roads Congress, in its road designs, does not mention anything about planting trees, she points out. “However we are not saying that there should be no trees. Wherever it is has grown on its own, efforts should be made to protect it. In addition, trees can be planted in public spaces close to the road rather than by the roadside. Moreover species of trees, the roots of which do not stretch into the road, need to be chosen,” she says.
Architect G. Shankar had said that it might just be possible to save the Kunnupuram tree, which according to the people here is 150 years’ old. “We need to see the road design to suggest alternatives. I reckon it should be possible. Though we are part of the Tree Monitoring Committee, we have not yet been approached by the PWD for approval,” he said.
Since trees ensure a cooler micro-climate, there is a viewpoint that cutting down trees is responsible for the rising temperatures. TRDCL Chairman Anilkumar Pandala says, “I don't think there is any truth in that. Bengaluru day temperatures, in the late nineties, had risen to 37 or 38 degree Celsius, when the city had a tree cover of 43 per cent.
The indiscriminate construction of concrete structures contributes more to the temperature rise.” “If a tree can be saved without impeding development initiatives, it should be saved. Otherwise, it has to be cut,” he says.
