Ironically, the problem has arisen due to the road-widening operations of the GVMC itself. While cutting down trees, it has not made any provision on the road margins to plant new ones.

Own making

“At the time of road extension, our engineers did not consult the Horticulture Department,” a GVMC official has admitted. The road from the Dronamraju Circle to Jagdamba is a glaring example. Further, at most places, no hangers have been provided for electrical or telephone cables, admits another official.

The department has recently planted some 100 ‘Ficus’ saplings on from Matsyadarshini to Park.

The department has finalised plans to plant some 6,000 avenue trees and some 100 more trees in every ward of the city. But, how to plant them on the road margins is the question.

In contrast, on the city outskirts, the plantation drive has been successfully launched, with the planting of some 500 saplings in Gajuwaka and surrounding areas. In the city, the pollution levels are going up. The temperatures are soaring. Rain too is deflected to the outskirts. Groundwater is depleting in the absence of trees.

A crime

“As carbon monoxide combines with haemoglobin some 200 times faster than oxygen, the number of people experiencing headaches and breathing problems is also rising. Some 300 trees are required to counter the air pollution an average person generates during his lifetime. The tree cover can reduce dust particles by 60 per cent. Cutting of trees is an environmental crime as it affects the health of the present and future generations. If the society is apathetic towards this serious crime, it will be forced to spend on medicines,” says environmentalist T. Shivaji Rao. He suggests restricting the non-local traffic to Maddipalem bus stop and, if need be, digging of roads for making space for tree plantation.