I f Vardah was like a nightmare, the trail of destruction it left behind was more so. The first thing many of us saw once we stepped out of our homes yesterday morning was trees. They were everywhere — uprooted and strewn across the roads, their lifeless leaves drooping in utter disbelief.
What went wrong? For one, the cyclone’s wind speeds of up to 120 kmph ensured that even the seemingly strongest of trees didn’t stand a chance. According to figures released by Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, around 4,000 trees have been uprooted in the three coastal districts. But could the number of casualties have been reduced? Absolutely, feels Shobha Menon of Nizhal, a city-based NGO that works towards preserving biodiversity.
Surrounded by trees in various stages of destruction at the Kotturpuram Tree Park, Shobha is involved in restoration work as she speaks to us. She’s clearly upset, and states that the trees should have been cared for in the first place. “The cyclone was furious, no doubt. But I wish those in the administration come up with a tree health management system. Trees need to be considered as environmental infrastructure and looked after. They must be maintained regularly, pruned, and trimmed when necessary,” she says.
Shobha doesn’t see the point in a post-mortem. Instead, she urges people to take care of the trees in our neighbourhood at least from now on. “As responsible citizens, we should ensure that trees in our surroundings are taken care of. If you notice a tree that’s damaged and needs help, get in touch with the Corporation or an NGO,” she suggests.
M. Jawaharlal, Dean, Horticulture, at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore, says the fallen trees should be replaced by native species such as neem, banyan, peepal, teak, pungai, kadambu, and athi maram. “These indigenous varieties can withstand heavy winds and are sturdier when compared to exotic species,” he says.
While it’s true that even trees native to our land didn’t manage to survive the cyclone, K.V. Krishnamurthy, former head, Department of Botany, Bharathidasan University, says that if studied up close, it can be seen that the native trees fared much better than the exotic ones. “This is because trees that are indigenous to our landscape, that is, the dry evergreen forests of South India, adapt themselves well to the changes in weather patterns of the region,” he says. “Their roots run deep.”
But sadly, it’s the “beautiful, flowering exotic trees” that occupy 90 per cent of Chennai’s tree cover; any city’s for that matter, says Krishnamurthy. It was the British who introduced these species, for purposes such as gardening, and we are mindlessly following their methods. All it takes is some planning, and our green cover can become not just attractive, but sturdy too.
Jawaharlal suggests that ‘Tree Doctors’ be appointed by the Corporation, much like in places such as Malaysia and Singapore. “They are horticulturists who are trained specifically in maintaining trees,” he explains.
He adds that trees should not be planted aimlessly. Instead, experts should be consulted at every step, right from planning to planting and maintenance. “There are so many parameters, such as root and shoot ratio, that have to be considered,” he says. “Nature has given us species that are ideal for certain conditions and landscapes,” he adds.
If the right species are picked and proper planning is put in place, trees can withstand any natural calamity. It’s not too late to learn from our mistakes.
