An urban forests division

Having struggled for years with the problem of creating adequate green cover for the city, Government has finally announced that it will set up an urban forestry division to tackle it. Employees of the energy wood division in Chengal­pattu, which is being wound up, will be redeployed in the new division. While all this is most encouraging, it is not clear as to what this department will achieve which earlier efforts have failed to do. Unless there is clear coordination between other vital ministries and departments, nothing can succeed in greening the city.

On paper the planned unit appears to be clearly defined. It will comprise an Assistant Conservator of Forests with six rangers and twelve foresters under him and they will lead the work. Their prime responsibility will be to grow saplings and ensure that they are distributed to people. They will also work towards creating eco clubs in schools and work with government agencies and NGOs connected with greening. For good measure, restoring of the ecology of the rivers of the city has also been vested with this division, though it is not clear as to how this can achieve anything, given the number of agencies that contribute to the present state of the river. At best, this new division can probably work towards greening the river banks. North Chennai will call for a concentrated efforts in greening, as it has the highest air pollution figures in the city at present.

The problems that the new division will face are plenty. Chennai has had reforestation plans on paper for years and several half-hearted attempts have been made. Each year, Vanamahotsava is celebrated with fanfare and a few saplings are planted on main roads, only to vanish within a few days. It has been reported that the Chennai Corporation at present does not even meet 50% of the saplings targets while managing to spend large sums of money on these activities. Meetings between various departments are held rarely, often just once a year, and that is an indication of how much importance is given to greening the city. However, on paper, each of the city’s zones is given a target of planting 1000 saplings. It is significant that the plan does not go beyond planting, for the care of planted saplings is not considered.

Those who are concerned with the green cover of the city complain of the lack of any scientific basis for planting trees. Just about any species is selected and planted and many of these are completely unsuited to the city’s climate and weather patterns. Shallow-rooted trees, such as gulmohar, find great favour with the authorities as they are fast growing, but these are most prone to being uprooted during heavy rains in October/November. What Chen­nai needs, according to these experts are more trees of the native variety, such as the konrai, the neem and the mandarai. These are longlasting and strike deep roots and grow to good heights. NGOs have been leading campaigns to promote awareness about these trees and these appear to have borne fruit, for the Corporation has agreed to grow more saplings of these trees.

But unless the new urban forests division is given a clear mandate and proper decision-taking powers, its effectiveness is likely to remain a question mark.