How many trees line the streets of your neighbourhood?
How many will be cut as part of the grand proposals to make the city’s arterial roads signal-free?
While the answer is generally met with an uncertain shrug now, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) hopes to get a “clearer” picture in three months when the much-awaited tree survey is expected to end.
The Urban Development Department has granted permission to the Forest Cell of BBMP to form a committee to oversee the extensive survey. The survey had been mandated by the High Court in March 2014 based on a PIL that challenged the claims of mass plantation drives by the civic body.
“We have received approval to start the survey. We will soon start the process of inviting NGOs to conduct surveys in particular zones. The committee will oversee the process,” said Ranganath Swamy, Assistant Conservator of Forests, BBMP.
The work had to be outsourced because of the low staff strength in the BBMP cell, he said. Barely 11 officers oversee tree cutting, roadside planting of saplings, and granting relevant permissions in the city.
“Moreover, getting third-party NGOs will lend credibility to the survey,” he said.
Management of
greenery
A tree survey was needed to ensure a comprehensive management of greenery in the city, said Harini Nagendra, urban ecologist.
“What are the species of trees that routinely fall when it rains? What is the survival rate of planted species? Where are trees being cut? The current estimates of trees cut are not sufficient. Without data, effective plans cannot be made,” she said.
She believed roping in NGOs, research organisations and individuals can decentralise the process of enumeration and ensure a more accurate picture. “We have already seen numerous organisations, bio-diversity experts begin the process here. With coordination from the BBMP, the survey can be done well,” she said.
