Environmentalists’ concern over tree-felling

BHUBANESWAR: Environmentalists and rights activists raised their concern over indiscriminate felling of trees to make way for widening of roads in the capital city.

Works department had to cut down 173 trees to make space for construction of ambitious flyover at busy Rajmahal Square. However, trees were felled reportedly without any concrete plan on compensating the vegetation.

To be built at a cost of Rs. 67.31 crores, the three-tier flyover structure would facilitate smooth vehicular movement between AG Square and Kalpana Square.

This was not the first time when trees were being felled. During widening of roads from Airport to Infocity and current development of eight-lane road between Sainik School and Acharya Vihar, huge plants were uprooted. Many decades-old trees were chopped down along Cuttack-Puri road a few months ago.

“We don’t know where the State Government has identified alternative locations to plant trees to compensate the loss. All those green drives being announced by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) are its own programmes. The compensatory plantation against tree loss due to road-widening should clearly be spelt out,” said city-based rights activist Biswapriya Kanungo.

Works department sources said they were entrusted with the task of widening roads and it was the lookout of the Forest Department to see how compensatory forestry could be taken up.

When asked city forest division authorities said since city did not come under forestland categories, the guidelines on compensatory forestry did not fit here. But city did not have adequate vacant space to plant trees, they said adding that most of pavements were made of concrete ones leaving little scope for creating avenue plantation.

“About 60 per cent of trees could be uprooted and planted somewhere else. However, authorities lacked mindset to go for this cumbersome process to save the trees,” said Biswajit Mohanty, an environmentalist.

Even the capital city did not have a definite environment plan, he said. “Species of trees have been badly chosen. One should select such trees which could sustain wildlife and would be strong enough to withstand in cyclones,” Mr. Mohanty said.