Concrete paver blocks destroying trees in city

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 27

The rampant use of paver blocks, covering area around trees with cemented blocks, is resulting in damaging of trees.

As there was no space for trees to grow after the installation of paver blocks as one tree had fallen wown in Sector 19 yesterday. Similarly, a tree had also fallen fallen due to the same reason in Sector 33 in May.

To solve such problems, the MC has now started the use of green paver blocks in Sector 27.

Area councillor Satinder Singh said they had started the use of green paver block in Sector 27 with the help of Superintending Engineer NP Sharma. With these blocks not only the greenery will be maintained but people can park their vehicles easily above these blocks. It will not harm the environment too, he said.

The MC has already spent nearly Rs 40 crore on laying of paver blocks in different parts of the city during its current tenure since 2011.

Environmental concerns

Environment experts say indiscriminate use of paver blocks will lead to reduction in recharging of groundwater. Water will also not reach the ground and it will affect the green area of the city.

Former Adviser was against the move

Former UT Adviser KK Sharma, in a meeting on July 2, 2013, with former Mayor Subhash Chawla, former MC Commissioner Vivek Partap Singh and others, had asked the MC to discourage the use of “normal paver blocks” in the city. He had rather encouraged the use of “green paver blocks” keeping in mind the environmental concerns.