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CLEAN-Delhi
Region
CLEAN-Delhi member schools have been surveying the condition of
roadside trees in Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon.
Tree surveys were done in different areas by
CLEAN-India students.
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How
can
I grow? A young tree tiled to its trunk.
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The findings were alarming.
Most of the trees were under stress either due to tiling or
tarring right uptil the tree trunk and not leaving adequate
kutcha / non-concrete space of 6 x 6 feet
around them. In addition to this, many were nailed for
advertisements and also strangled by tree guards. The trees
seemed to cry out for immediate help.
Activities like construction, digging, burning waste are
undergoing in many areas flouting Government Of India
guidelines (Notification No.5-DDR/VIP/2000-DDVI dated 21st
July,2000) thus harming and destroying many trees. Observations
of alert students of schools like Delhi Public School, Vasant
Kunj, Amity School, Saket, Ramjas School, R.K.Puram are given below for certain areas of the city. |
- In Vasant Kunj area
of South Delhi (specially pockets B and C) many
pavements were constructed in the beginning of 2001. This
area has many young Philkan tree which need a lot of kutcha
space to grow. Due to construction of pavements the
space left for them varied from a radius of mere 6 inch to a
maximum of 1 foot (this also because some tree had tree
guards around them). Seeing this the environment club
students of Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj and Development
Alternatives approached the Executive Engineer of the area
and requested him to leave kutcha space for trees in
further construction and also detile the trees which have
been tiled up so far. Subsequently some space (of 2 feet by
2 feet) was left for the trees. But to our dismay this was
limited to only the trees along the roads as MCD was
responsible for the concretisation taking place inside the
residential area and PWD for near the flyover in Vasant Kunj.
This meant that we needed to approach multiple agencies for
one area.
Recently
(end 2001) bicycle tracks are being built in Vasant
Kunj area tarring the remaining Philkan trees right uptil the
trunks. Complaints by students and residents have yielded
promises and we hope will be followed by action.
- Near Bhikaji Cama
place and Moti Bagh, flyovers have been constructed
recently. On expanding the roads, new pavements have been
constructed without leaving kutcha space for the
trees. Infact in most places where flyovers are being
constructed in Delhi, new pavements are being made without
considering the harmful effect on trees.
- Baba Ganganath Marg
(Near JNU), New Mehrauli Road, Parts of Africa Avenue:
Existing good condition pavements have been broken up and
new ones being made resulting in unnecessary malba
generation and wastage of public money.
- Pusa Road, Ring Road
outside Panscheel Enclave
:
Good condition pavements remade, no kutcha space left for the
trees.
- Ashok Vihar, Delhi
Cant (Kirby Place)
:
Existing good condition pavements and central verges been
broken up and new ones being constructed.
- Ridge Road (from
Karol Bagh To Dhaula Kuan) : Concrete central verge being
constructed on the green central strip.
- Tree Guards
threatening
trees : In most places in the city, tree guards are not
removed on time threatening the growth of trees. Near Malai
Mandir, R.K.Puram huge philkan trees have almost grown on
the tree guards. Many full grown alstonia trees have tree
guards around them on Press Enclave Road (near Saket).
The above
has been brought to notice of the local agencies and also higher
offices, and has resulted in mixed response and action. Students
of Ramjas School, R.K.Puram took up the task of freeing the
trees in their locality. Along with local residents, and even
the MCD, the tender but determined hands of many students
detiled numerous trees and even removed tree guards of many
trees in their area.
CLEAN requests everybody to monitor the condition of trees in
their area and ensure they get their due space. (click
here to do your own tree survey)
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