The tree cover in Bangalore is fast disappearing and every infrastructure activity brings in its trail, disappearance of our valuable trees some of which are as old as the city itself. Cyclones and rains lead to the sudden collapse of trees because trees are not “serviced”.
Central Park in New York has a “Tree Service” wing, which monitors the age of trees and suggest remedial measures to save or cut them. How do we make our city planners, BBMP engineers, councillors and citizens get involved with the protection of trees?
Pune has done a pioneering work by establishing the Pune Tree Authority (PTA) to preserve and protect trees as mandated by the Maharastra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975 (amended on June 9, 2004).
Two important actions that the Act mandates are the establishment of a tree authority headed by a chairman and that any individual citizen or a Central or state agency needs to apply to the authority for permission to fell a tree in the urban city space.
All legal authorities have their own weaknesses and that does not mean we should not have them. Kalpavriksha, an NGO in Pune spearheaded the support for PTA. Pune’s development control rules lay down that there should be a tree for every 100 sq mts and that new constructions cannot get a “No Objection Certificate” without fulfiling this requirement. Recently, 54 full-grown trees at Shastri Nagar in Pune were to be felled to construct a storm water drainage but the Pune Tree Watch, of the Kalpavriksha, suggested a few design changes with the help of the town planner to save all the trees.
Bangalore is proud of its greenery, only for the trees in Cubbon Park and Lalbagh, but so many trees disappear every month. We have a plethora of departments touching the lives of citizens from the BBMP to BWSSB and the BDA. Why not our citizen groups, who keep raising a hue and cry on every conceivable issue affecting citizens’ lives, come out and form a Bangalore Tree Authority (BTA).
The BTA should have teeth to punish any agency, which cuts trees, and promote tree service culture which includes pruning, determining the age of trees and forewarning their fall. It should also plan the greening of the city by planting and nurturing trees. The BTA should be headed by a judge of the Karnataka High Court, who should be assisted by a scientist, some councillors from municipal wards of the city and a few forestry sector members.
The commissioner of the BBMP should serve as BTA’s secretary and the BBMP should work as its secretariat. Just as the BBMP gives building permission with house tax liability, any individual, state or Central agency should apply to the BTA for pulling down trees in their area. Their failure to do so should attract rigorous punishment and fine.
The Bangalore Police is now installing sophisticated cameras to detect traffic violations. An elaborate combination of technologies is being deployed to try to curb hunting of endangered species. The BTA can develop and install such devices to track illegal felling of trees and keep up the green glory of Bangalore.
