Nurture a tree

I think I'll never see

A poem as lovely as a tree

Poems are made by fools like me

But only God can make a tree.

Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

NOT far from the statue of King Edward at the entrance to the Government Estate in Chennai stands a large neem tree, a picture of death. The withered branches reach starkly out to the sky. If you get closer you can see why it has happened. While laying the pavement, concretising has been done completely closing in on the trunk in a stranglehold, as if it were a lamppost. In time the tree will die. The masons who laid the pavement would have hardly realised what they were doing. Many more trees in our cities will similarly die before their time. Wherever side walks have been tiled, you see the trees have been hemmed him.

Kalpavriksha, a Delhi-based non-governmental organisation concerned with the environment, noticed something similar in the capital a few years ago and raised the issue with the officials. It tried to point out that trees need some space around them to survive and that this should be provided when the road and sidewalks are paved. When that proved futile, it went to court and got an order through which the Corporation was directed to ensure that while concretising pavements, adequate space was left around the trunks of avenue trees for rain water to percolate and for root aeration. This is just another example of how environmental care calls for cooperation between departments right down to the lowest level.

Though we started tree planting as a national programme (Vanamahotsava), as early as 1950, we have not made much progress. (July 1 - 7 is Vanamahotsava week). Later, in 1972, worldwide awakening on environmental care in the wake of the oil crunch, led to a renewed emphasis on tree planting and talk about greening our cities and villages.

But with all the noise made about the environment, avenue trees, whether in cities or on highways, do not get the attention they deserve. We seem to be concerned only with the number of saplings planted and the amount of money spent. There is little concern about what trees we choose to raise or on the long term care of the trees. We forget that a tree needs care throughout its life. Trees are not seen as a heritage and a resource that increases the livability of a society in a city. The issue here is that many of us feel disconnected from our environment.

While preparing to plant trees, the first question to be asked is: what are the species of trees to be planted and where? Consider the characteristics of a tree, such as the pattern of branching, and choose the sapling. If it is a school, you need shade giving trees or trees on which children can climb easily and play. You do not go about planting eucalypti or worse, the tall, mast-like Ashoka tree. In residential colonies, trees with a dense canopy should be the choice, for pollution control, including trapping dust. Similarly, the nature of the soil is crucial. Sandy soil, as by the sea side, calls for a species that would survive there. We only talk in terms of trees, not in terms of species.

If you are planting trees by the roadside, it makes sense to go in for native trees like Neem or Pungai that can withstand the wind of a tropical monsoon and provide shade in summer. On highways, the obvious choice would be tamarind, marudam or peepul, which are deep-rooted and have a dense crown. Native trees, having evolved in this type of soil over the eons, are best suited to our country. Being hardy, they do not demand much care. You can observe that the birds and animals interact with indigenous trees more than they do with exotics. Moreover, these species are part of folklore; villagers easily identify with these species as being sacred, as an abode of gods and ghosts.

In situations with adequate space, banyan trees will add to the grandeur. When J.R.D. Tata inaugurated the National Institute of Advance Studies, Bangalore, he planted a banyan sapling that has now grown majestically into a memorial for him.

Of course, exotics like peltoforum and laburnum have a place, inside campuses, gardens and parks. Of soft wood and shallow- rooted, they are not much suited to grow on road sides.

In Bangalore, where a number of exotics have been planted as avenue trees, every monsoon a few who take shelter under these trees in rain are killed by falling branches. Traffic uprooted trees are another problem. On the other hand on the old highways, one can see gigantic peepal, banyan or marudam trees. Short stretches where such avenue trees grow can be seen on the Mysore- Bangalore road. The road connecting Palayamcottai and Tirunelveli was once flanked by a row of majestic marudam trees, the remainder of which can still be seen. In New Delhi, each main road has a different species of a avenue trees. Parliament Street is lined with neem, with luxurious crowns.

Whenever we plan new colonies or townships, a "tree planting plan" should be drawn up. Such a blueprint should be part of the plan of the township. Overhead electric and telephone lines and drainage points should be taken into consideration while doing so. Often the crowns of avenue trees are mutilated for the sake of overhead lines. Trees can be so chosen that one or the other species is in bloom throughout the year. The minimum conditions for trees to grow and flourish should be ensured. Planting saplings can be done even before construction begins. Similarly, when new roads are laid, like ring roads and by-passes, trees should find a place.

A city where such a plan was drawn and implemented is Gandhi Nagar, the new capital of Gujarat. It is a city of trees and meticulous care is taken in nurturing them. The temperature is at least three degrees less here than in Ahmedabad, just 25 km away. It is with good reason that Gandhi Nagar figures in the Guinness Book Of World Records as the city with the highest density of trees.

S. THEODORE BASKARAN

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