VMC unhappy with ‘misuse’,to keep track of plants,planters

As per a new plan by VMC’s parks and garden department,institutes and organizations will have to provide full details about the number of saplings taken from VMC’s nursery and how many have actually survived.

The decision has been taken after VMC officials noticed that in several areas,saplings planted by organisations died due to lack of proper care. “At some places,we noticed that the saplings had become fodder for cattle immediately after plantation. In some areas,saplings died as they were never watered. We realised that the sole purpose of making the city green and improving the environment is taking a backseat in the race for publicity. So,we have decided to monitor it closely,” said V R Chikhalia,Director,Parks and Gardens.

He maintained that the sapling survival rate is comparatively higher in individual plantations. “We have taken a serious note of the plantation done by the organisations and institutes. The individuals who had taken saplings from us took utmost care,but those organisations that had taken thousands of saplings,did not even take primary care and most of them died. Now,we will have a system to keep track of who is taking how many saplings and where,” Chikhaliya added.

Incidentally,VMC’s own roadside plantation programme has taken a backseat. At many places where roads have been widened,the new design of road dividers has left no space for plantation. Also,while there are huge pavements on most of the roads,no provisions have been made for plantation.

“It is true that plantation in the road dividers in some of the areas is not possible as they are small in size,but that is purely the responsibility of another department. Probably the dividers are designed to give more room to the vehicles,” Chikhalia said.

VMC Deputy Commissioner A O Sharma said that the recent ‘Green Guard’ movement would help improve the green cover to a great extent.

“We expect that with public involvement in the project,the results will be better. So far,we did not have any information about the trees in the city,but now we will have details of each and every tree,which will give us a fair idea about the increase or decrease in the green cover,” he said.

A rough estimate pegs the number of trees in Vadodara at about 70,000.