Over 1,600 trees damaged due to concrete in S Delhi
An ongoing survey by the south division of the Delhi government’s forest department has found that at least 1,684 trees have been concretised along roads and in residential colonies, with officials claiming that they have issued fines totalling ₹38.7 lakh. The survey, which began last December and covers areas under the south division, aims to identify all such damaged trees and take steps for their revival.
“So far, over 1,600 concretised trees have been identified across the area. Most of these are native species such as semal, neem, jamun, amaltas and gular, among others. The trees are aged between 10 years and 40-50 years,” said a senior forest official, who asked not to be named.
Filling concrete within one metre radius of a tree trunk is a violation under the Delhi Trees Preservation Act, 1994, as well as of directions issued in a 2015 National Green Tribunal order, and can attract a penalty of ₹10,000 and above, depending on the damage.
The senior official said that the survey may be extended to other divisions -- north and west.
NEW DELHI:
“Fines totalling ₹38.7 lakh have been imposed, but only ₹1.8 lakh has been deposited so far. Besides, corrective measures are being undertaken,” said Amit Anand, deputy conservator of forest (DCF), south division.
Apart from home and shop owners, the public works department and the three municipal corporations --- South, North and East -- are among the offenders, an official said.
“The trunks and roots of many trees have been cemented while laying/relaying of pavements, drains or other such construction works on main roads and in residential areas. Many residents, while making a driveways or levelling the entrance to their houses or shops, cement the area,” said an official requesting anonymity.
A senior PWD official, who did not wish to be named, said that corrective measures were already being taken at several sites.
Officials in the South MCD said that they ensure that the contractors remove the concrete if the bases of any tree gets cemented during work. “Many a times, long after the work is over, residents making driveways or guard boxes also end up cementing the soil around the trees,” said a senior SDMC official, requesting anonymity.
The Delhi high court last September asked the state forest department to set up a helpline or a link on its website for people to report complaints of concretisation or any other damage caused to trees.
CR Babu, professor emeritus at the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystem in Delhi University, said that agencies and even individuals need to realise that concretisation of trees eventually kills them. “During the monsoon, rainwater has to seep into the soil allowing tree growth, but if it’s layered with concrete, it will eventually die,” said Babu.
He pointed out that several trees in Delhi are dying due to termite attack, noting that most such trees are left vulnerable by concretisation.
He also pushed for increasing the minimum radius around trees for filling concrete from one metre to two metres.
Last year, HT had reported several instances of concretisation of trees, after which action was taken by the forest department against offending agencies..
A child appears on the road, as if out of thin air, and walks towards the driver’s window. The boy cannot be more than 5 or 6 years old, his head barely reaching the side mirror. He’s wearing a pink T-shirt that is too big for him, and that falls like a kaftan around his thin figure. One expects a usual traffic signal sight—the child knocking on the car window for money. But he doesn’t do that.
Instead, he slowly, concentratively writes ABCD on the misty window with his left hand. The next moment the light turns green. The car drives away, along with the rest of the stranded traffic. The boy is no longer seen.
That same evening, lawyer Rohan Agrawal posts on his Instagram a picture of a child drawing a similar ABCD on his car window—he clicked it from inside the car.
But this picture, he says, was taken at the traffic light outside Bhikaji Cama Place Metro station, and the boy in it is wearing a purple shirt and a chain around his neck. This means that there are at least two kids in our city who, on rainy days, practice their ABCD this special way.
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