Green Highways

Green Highways - An Effort to Reduce Pollution

In a landmark decision which can have far reaching consequences to the state of India’s environment and green cover, the government announced its Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification & Maintenance) Policy 2015 on Sep 29, 2015. The goal is to help the environment, local communities and generate employment by planting trees along all the highways in the country. The target for the first year is to plant trees along 6,000 km of highways, on already available land of about 12,000 hectares. 

“The Green Highway Policy will help in making India pollution free. It will also help in curtailing the number of road accidents in India. The vision of the policy is to provide dignified employment to local people and communities,” according to Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways.

The government plans to spend around Rs 1,000 crore every year towards greening of our highways. The positive impact of such large scale plantation on overall weather patterns, soil fertility, water table and wildlife would be immense and has the potential to give an added impetus to economic growth of the nation.

Need for increasing tree cover

Trees form the very basis of our environment and contribute immeasurably towards a stable ecosystem. Consider the words of the learned Lord Avebury in this regard:
 

“The reckless and wanton destruction of forests has ruined some of the richest countries on earth. Syria and Asia Minor, Palestine and the north of Africa were once far more populous than they are at present. They were once lands ‘flowing with milk and honey,’ but are now in many places reduced to dust and ashes. Why is there this melancholy change? Why have deserts replaced cities? It is mainly owing to the ruthless destruction of the trees, which has involved that of nations. Even nearer home a similar process may be witnessed. Two French departments—the Hautes and Basses Alps—are being gradually reduced to ruin by the destruction of the forests. Cultivation is diminishing, vineyards are being washed away, the towns are threatened, the population is dwindling, and unless something is done the country will be reduced to a desert; until, when it has been released from the destructive presence of man, Nature reproduces a cover of vegetable soil, restores the vegetation, creates the forests anew, and once again fits these regions of the habitation of man.”

The situation in India is not too different from that described above. However, there is no land in India which can be released from the destructive presence of man for nature to recover. And hence, the proposed greening of our highways appears to be a solution to our deforestation problems.
 

Scanty Rainfall

Rainfall during the 2015 monsoon was scanty and infrequent. The direct outcome has been low water levels in dams and water reservoirs. Low rainfall also translates into lack of soil moisture, a factor causing repeated crop failures, leading to despair among the poor farmers. Conversely, there have also been increasing instances of very heavy rainfall in short durations (cloud bursts), causing destruction in the form of tree falls, collapsing houses, disruption in road and rail traffic and consequent economic loss.
 

If the greening of highways does really take off, Nitin Gadkari will be remembered for his vision for generations to come.

Tree species to be planted

According to the government, the policy will focus on planting indigenous trees only. Reports have indicated that species such as jacaranda, silver oak and peepul are the ones shortlisted. 

Here are a few suggestions regarding other species that may be considered for plantation:

Species:  Ziziphus Mauritiana

Indian names: Hindi: Ber; Marathi: Bor

The tree is well adapted to dry conditions and grows quite rapidly to reach upto 12M in height. It has thorny branches which would be fine for plantation along the highways. The fruit (ber), as made famous by Shabari (offered to Lord Rama), can be eaten fresh or dry and is a good source of Vitamin C. Large plantations can very well be a source of income for a number of people.
Being a fruit bearing plant, it will naturally attract a variety of bird species, chiefly barbets, parakeets and orioles.

 

Species: Pithecellobium dulce

Common name: Madras Thorn; street name: Gorkha- phal

This tree is supposedly from Central America and is now widely found all over India. The fruits are in the form of circular pods, green in color on the outside changing to wine-red when ripe, with thick white pulp and black shiny seeds. The pulp is very tasty and is popular among children in villages and small towns (self included while growing up in Hutti Gold Mines). The branches are covered with small sharp thorns often causing injuries to children adventurous enough to climb the trees.
The trees grow to very large dimensions in tropical and semi-arid regions & the fruits can be a source of food for people and birds alike, attracting several birds like barbet, starling (myna), bulbul, crow-pheasant, parakeet, koel, etc.
 

Species: Ficus racemosa

Common name: Cluster Fig; Marathi: Umbar

It is distributed throughout the plains of India. Mention is made in Unani medicine of the fruit’s medicinal properties as a cure for worms and piles and general well-being.
The fruits attract birds and mammals like rhesus monkey and langur.

Species: Phoenix sylvestris

Common name: Wild Date Palm; Hindi Khajur

Fairly widespread throughout India. It has a thick, rough bark and wild spiky leaves. The fruits can be a source of food. The tree is an article of commerce for its sap, which is sold as “neera” in fresh form. Upon fermentation, the alcohol content increases and it can be used a substitute for country liquor.

The government is bound to find many takers for maintenance of these trees for sure!

Following species require no explanations regarding their usefulness:

Species: Cocos Nucifera

Common name: Coconut Palm

Species: Syzygium Cumini

Common name: Jamun Tree; Hindi: Jamun; Marathi: Jambhul

Species: Tamarindus Indica

Common name: Tamarind; Hindi: Imli

Species: Toona Ciliata

Common name: Neem

Species: Borassus flabellifer
Asian palmyra palm, Sugar palm

Reduction in pollution

Will there be a reduction in pollution? As the minister has rightly said, the trees along the highways will definitely contribute in reducing pollution levels by acting as a barrier and absorbing pollutants. 

This, however, will make the trees susceptible to damage and disease. Accordingly, an important consideration in the proposed plantation drive is to maintain the trees to ensure that the green cover is maintained over the years. This could be done by constituting a national tree authority under the MoEF or the Ministry of Surface Transport. More details forthcoming in my next post. 

Help reduce pollution: Save our Earth

Thane Flamingo Sanctuary

Flamingo Sanctuary In Thane

Almost a decade after initially announcing its intention to create a bio-diversity park along the Bhandup creek and salt pans, the Maharashtra government decided to declare the Thane creek as a Flamingo Sanctuary. (See: TOI, dated June 23, 2015; Maharashtra to declare Thane creek area as 'Flamingo Sanctuary')
The area extending from Bhandup salt pans to Vitawa encompasses some of the most dense and well preserved mangroves in the entire MMR region, after massive mangrove destruction in the Mumbra-Diva-Kalwa belt. 

Ramsar Site in Thane

The government will approach UNESCO to also declare the sanctuary a Ramsar site. The Ramsar Convention (formally, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially Waterfowl Habitat) is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands. After the MoEF officially declares the 17 sq.km area as a sanctuary, it will enable forest department protection to the region and control deforestation and poaching of flamingoes. 

The region is home to thousands of migratory flamingoes, pied avocets, spot-billed ducks, ibises apart from sandpipers, egrets, storks, a variety of kingfishers, plovers, stilts, gulls, curlews, godwits and snipes, to name just a few of the species.

Curlew

Bar-tailed Godwit

Common Greenshank

 

Common Redshank (behind Pied Avocet)

Lesser Plover (extreme left, second and third from left)

Spot-billed Duck

Brown Headed Gull

Black Headed Ibis

 Flamingoes

A small step towards saving the wonders of nature for our future generations

Tree Census

By conducting a population census, the government enumerates the number of people living in a particular locality or “ward”, of the city, as is bifurcated by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) for governance. Presently, MCGM is conducting a “tree census”, which is actually a count of the number of trees in all the 26 wards of the city, comprising the western, eastern and central suburbs. See Mumbai Mirror 02.05.2015, “BMC counts 16L trees, identifies one new species”. According to the MCGM, there are 16,01,514 trees in the 16 wards in which counting has been completed. The count makes use of geographic information system (GIS) and uses GPS units to note exact location of a particular tree and also assigns an ID to the tree. This is supposed to help the authorities to take corrective measures as the data-base will have details indicating if the tree is diseased, is cut or whether it is enclosed at the base with cement-concrete. This level of information about the numbers and varieties of trees in the city is extremely useful and if the authorities can ensure that action is taken against unlawful felling, it would be really commendable.

Ineffective authority

However, in actual fact how many of us truly believe that this information will be used to preserve green cover and will not tampered with by corrupt officials and greedy land sharks for monetary gains? A similar tree census in Thane last year showed that the city had 4,55,000 trees. See TOI, 24.07.2014 “Green cheer: Census reveals Thane has over 4.55 lakh trees”. The report also mentioned that a very small percentage - 8.5% - of the trees were on government land, about 14% on industrial plots and the rest on privately held land. These figures are disturbing as the authorities have practically no control on the number of trees cut down on private land by landlords and builders for constructing large housing complexes, despite having a "Tree Authority". The Tree Authority permits felling of trees for road-widening, infrastructure and building construction after due evaluation. According to the civic rules, every tree that is cut must be replaced by planting five trees to compensate for the loss and to increase green cover.

But, is the Tree Authority effective? Does it maintain any records of the trees cut and how many have been planted as replacement? Can this information be accessed through Right To Information (RTI) act? You can bet your bottom dollar (or rupee) that no such information is available with them nor are they concerned about the excessive number of permits issued for felling trees.

The hard reality is, trees are being cut for road widening and building construction and not being replanted.  Large trees which once provided shade and protection have been choked to death due to concrete encircling the tree trunks.  With the same problem recurring all over the city and in Mumbai, it is shocking that no one has stopped it or taken suitable steps to prevent such destruction.

Will the authorities act only after all the trees are gone? A solution would be to have a long term plan to increase green cover on government held land and creation of forest parks.

Photograph location: Old Mumbai-Pune road

 

A few years ago, this road on Mumbra by-pass was lined on either side by tall trees.

 

Take a look at its condition today. 

Another road: Ganesh Ghat to Kharegaon toll booth, with the same fate.

Trees marked under the census no longer exist or are being slowly choked by debris being dumped along the road.

Plant more trees; save our Earth

World Sparrow Day (March 20)

Welcome presence

 
Sparrows have always fascinated children. I have clear memories from my childhood, of seeing sparrows build untidy nests of straw and small twigs in the corners of the house; on lofts between roof brackets and inside old fashioned ventilating windows near the ceiling.
 

They are lively birds and serve to brighten up the atmosphere with their constant activity and cheerful but noisy chirping. Talkative little children are fondly called sparrows (in Marathi) by parents and relatives, however irritating they may seem to neighbors. But that is a subject beside the point of this post.
 

For most people, presence of sparrows is always welcome. Unlike crows or pigeons that spread filth and disease through their droppings, sparrows are not intrusive and are rarely disliked.
 

Steady decline
Unfortunately, rapid urbanization, changes in building construction patterns and design, and loss of old fashioned dwellings has lead to loss of habitat for sparrows. In distinct contrast, fast adapting birds like pigeons and mynahs found these changes opportune. There has been a remarkable increase in number of these birds, with a corresponding decrease in sparrow numbers. Being aggressive in nature, pigeons have gradually replaced sparrows in the urban landscape. Further, development of mobile telephony and the proliferation of cellular communication towers - radiation from which is believed to adversely affect the sparrows - has also contributed to their declining numbers.
 

Saving the sparrows
Whether or not the decline of sparrows affects the ecosystem, we do not know. In an enlightening article about decline of bees, John Haltiwanger writes that if bees were to disappear, humans would no longer survive. The same statement would probably hold true for most other creatures. Conversely, if humans were to disappear, the ecosystem would flourish and the world would be better off without us.

A world without our feathered friends would be unimaginable. Sparrows, like all living creatures, must be given a chance to survive. Here, I would like to mention that the efforts made by Mr. Anand Patil are certainly commendable.
 

He has designed an innovative bird-feeder at negligible cost using waste items and a nesting box to which the birds took an instant liking.

He is some one who has practiced what is preached and demonstrated that "saving the sparrow" need not just be a slogan. Three cheers to him!