Road widening kills trees

A large number of trees which were planted to lend a green look to the city are dying. In order to widen roads,more area needs to be dug up. And in this case,the first casualty is that of a roadside tree. It is common to see rows of trees with exposed roots in all sectors where the work for road widening is going on.

Once the road is widened,half of the roots are covered in concrete while the remaining area remains in a layer of earth. At times,a part of a tree can be seen stuck between pavers. This causes imbalance of such trees. As a result,a number of trees fall in the middle of road during storms.

Another issue which is of a great concern is burning of leaves. With this being the season of shedding of leaves,dried leaves are collected and then burnt. In many sectors,one can find trunks of trees blackened due to burning. Parmod Sharma,coordinator of NGO Yuvsatta,has been organising excursions for children to make them familiar with heritage trees in the city.

He says,“Trees in various parts of the city have been extensively damaged. No care is taken when digging work is done. If trees are damaged at this pace,we may lose the green cover that the city is famous for.” The condition of the trees also have the horticulturists and environmentalists worried. While the burning of leaves causes damage to environment,burning of roots of trees is an additional problem. Dr Satish Narula,senior horticulturist,Punjab Agricultural University,said that in any developing city the problem of damage to trees arises.

“The roots when exposed cause the tree to lose its balance. In case of a storm these can fall. By using concrete along the roots,trees are being suffocated. This causes extensive damage,thus weakening trees,” he says.