The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : Revival of green belt project favoured

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 10, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

Revival of green belt project favoured

Staff Correspondent

`As Mysore is fast developing and many new areas coming up, there is scope for tree plantation to minimise environmental pollution'

MYSORE: There is a need to revive the green belt development project conceived by the Mysore Agenda Task Force (MATF) in the wake of a large number of trees being uprooted in heavy rain in the city last week.

Several trees in danger of falling are being pulled down as a safety measure.

Worst affected

The worst affected areas are Kuvempunagar, Saraswathipuram, Yadavgiri and Kalidasa Road.

Mysore Amateur Naturalists (MAN) has stressed the importance of preserving the ecological stability of Mysore and improving its environmental quality.

The Vision 2020 Document for Mysore prepared by the Mysore Agenda Task Force underlines the importance of green belt development.

The project report noted that rapid urbanisation led to accumulation of silt and many water bodies had become marshy land and the percentage of green patches in residential areas were fast diminishing.

Hence, it was suggested that ecological and environmental stability of Mysore urban and industrial areas should be ensured by increasing the green cover.

It called for tree plantation on either side of road in residential areas, vacant grounds at schools, hospitals and graveyards. These blocks of plantation will serve as a huge space for the city in future.

Favourable species

Experts identified a few species that were reckoned to be favourable to the Mysore's climatic conditions and soil.

According to them, species such as champaka, pongamia pinnata, cassia spectabills, casia javanica and jacaranda can be planted. "As Mysore is fast developing and many new areas coming up, there is scope for tree plantation to minimise environmental pollution," the report stated.

13 places identified

The working group on environmental protection and pollution control had identified 13 residential areas in Mysore City Corporation limits and 10 areas in Mysore Urban Development Authority limits for planting trees.

The areas included Jayalakshmipuram, Yadavgiri, Saraswathipuram, Bannimantap, Vidyaranyapuram, Gokulam 1st Stage and 2nd Stage, Gayathripuram, Siddarthanagar, Kuvempunagar, Jayanagar, Mahadevapura Extension, Metagalli and Industrial suburb areas. The areas coming under the Mysore Urban Development Authority included Ramakrishna Nagar 1st Stage and 2nd Stage, Datagalli, Srirampura, Alanahally Extension, Kesare, Hebbal 1st Stage, 2nd Stage and 3rd Stage, Vijayanagar 1st Stage, 2nd Stage, 3rd Stage and 4th Stage and Bogadi 1st Stage and 2nd Stage.

Tree plantation

While the Mysore Urban Development Authority in conjunction with the Department of Forests has taken up tree plantation along the outer ring road, little work has been taken up in residential areas.

The city corporation planted 30,000 saplings last year though not many have survived, according to officials.

"But given the rapid erosion of green cover of Mysore and the Mysore Urban Development Authority's plans for six to eight new layouts, the importance of taking up tree plantation is urgent," according to Mysore Amateur Naturalists.

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