At a time when the planet faces serious environmental challenges, it is not at all difficult to execute infrastructure projects without harming the environment, say experts
If it was Aarey Colony in Mumbai then, it is MLA Colony in Bhubaneswar now. Scenarios are more or less the same in both the cities. Greenery is the casualty. While thousands of trees were felled to house a multi-level car shed for the metro rail in Mumbai, back home, acres of green slice at the heart of Bhubaneswar is being cleaned up for a mega housing project, the official residence of state Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs).
Why is it always the greenery that has to make way for infrastructure projects, ask several environment lovers.
While the Temple City Bhubaneswar is gradually turning into a hot cauldron thanks to mindless concretization and massive greenery loss to natural causes like cyclone, government’s current decision to fell hundreds of trees to construct houses and other amenities for the MLAs has sparked sharp resentment among the citizens.
People across the spectrum starting from environment lovers to politicians to civil society members have joined hands to protest the environmental destruction. So much so, that a few MLAs, who are the likely beneficiaries of the project openly, voiced their outrage at the felling of trees.
Though this citizen-led protest forced the construction company and the forest department to temporarily stop the felling of trees, uncertainty still loomed on the fate of several hundreds of old trees in the MLA Colony till filing of this report.
This World Environment Day, Sunday POST talked to a few environmentalists over the issue and here’s what they have to say.
Adopt ‘blue and green’ policy
Known as a green warrior, Odisha Environmental Society Secretary Jaykrushna Panigrahi says, “The chopping of trees came as a rude shock not only to me but to all the nature lovers of the city. We already have caused much damage to the greenery and let’s not cause more harm to the environment of Bhubaneswar. Moreover, the best option would have been to convert the area with such lush green cover to a Nagar Van, a scheme launched by the Central government and accepted by the state government. In the present scenario, when the whole earth is reeling under challenges like pollution, global warming and climate change, the foremost task for the city administration is to adopt the policy of ‘blue and green’, which refers to creating additional water bodies and expanding the greenery by undertaking massive plantations of indigenous species. But unfortunately, the administration is just doing the opposite.”
There is a need to make long-term planning for a city’s development in such a way that humanity coexists with nature and the environmental problems are addressed genuinely so as to enhance the liveability of a city. The leaders as well as the administrators are required to adopt the novel concepts of city development by emphasizing more on trees, biodiversity and water bodies, and identifying the sources of pollution for corrective actions, adds Panigrahi.
More grownup trees, more water bodies
The question is whether the trees still celebrate their freedom in and around Bhubaneswar or they are just ceremonial pieces, asks Piyush Ranjan Rout, an urban planner and an environment activist.
“A couple of years ago on World Forestry Day (March 21), Bhubaneswar broke a 64-year-old record with the mercury rising to 42.2°C. Similarly on World Environment Day 2012, Bhubaneswar broke the 40-year-old record by touching 46.7℃. The climate of Bhubaneswar hasn’t changed overnight. We must have committed some grave errors in the past to reach this stage and this is time to introspect. But what is being done at MLA Colony is anything but introspection,” adds Rout.
People shouldn’t forget that today’s Bhubaneswar stands on a landscape which was once a forest. So, it is a collective responsibility to restore some part of the forest in the heart of the city and not to clean up the remaining urban forestry. How can one chop down so many old trees to accommodate just two multi-storey skyscrapers having 300 rooms, he further asks.
Rout believes there is a serious lack of understanding between urban plan & architectural design during the execution of the project. He says it’s high time the government should impose a complete ban on chopping of trees inside the city. Moreover, they should plant grownup trees and create as many water bodies as possible to offer some relief to the inhabitants of this City.
Plantation on outskirts baffling
Sudarshan Das, the convener of Mahanadi Bachao Andolan, was the first among the activists who took the street to save the trees at MLA Colony. Many civil society members, politicians and people from all walks of life joined him later on. He says, “The state government’s decision of cutting old trees and planting saplings as replacement on the city outskirts is baffling to say the least. This will do more harm than good to the environment as no skills are required to differentiate between a sapling and a 60 to 70 years old tree. We will not allow a single tree to be felled anymore. We have stopped the dharna for the time being as the cutting of trees has been halted. We will continue our agitation if the administration resumes the tree-cutting.”
The outfit organised a Children’s painting show on the harmful effects of tree-felling last week to protest the government action.
It’s a criminal offence
Prerana president Dilip Srichandan always remains in forefront regarding environmental issues. This time, he embraced a tree, in the line of Sundarlal Bahuguna’s Chipko movement, to protest the chopping of trees.
“This is a conspiracy to rob the city of its sheen. Felling of trees will not only add to the pollution level, the temperature will rise alarmingly,” fumed an angry Srichandan.
Recalling the formation of the city he said, “While laying foundation of Bhubaneswar, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, impressed by the greenery of the city, said that the Temple City will be the greenest, cleanest and pollution free city of India. While the state government claims Bhubaneswar to be the no. 1 Smart City of the country, it is wiping out the green cover instead of adding to its greenery.”
It is a criminal offence to fell trees when the planet faces serious environmental challenges. We will knock at the doors of the National Green Tribunal, High Court and Supreme Court if the administration does not withdraw its plan, he warned. Srichandan also submitted a memorandum protesting the destruction of greenery at the capital city of Odisha.
Thick greenery identity of a Smart City
Noted environmental activist Prafulla Samantara who has been a spokesperson for the Dongria Kondhs in their protest against plans for bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri hill range says, “Presence of a large number of old trees contributed significantly to the pleasant climate of Bhubaneswar. However, scores of trees have been felled in the name of infrastructure development over the years causing irreversible damage to the environment. No city can grow by thinning tree population which is why we asked the government to take care of the trees to become a Smart City in true sense but it fell on deaf ears.
“The destruction came to light as it took place at the heart of the capital city. But thousands of trees are being felled, for the benefit of private companies, inside the forests of other districts without anyone’s knowledge. This also affects the life and livelihood of local communities but who cares,” adds Samantara.
Inputs: Arindam Ganguly, OP and Photos: Bikash Nayak, OP