Official apathy and a trail of scars

Nitin Jain

Chandigarh, the first planned city of India, is not only known for its architectural planning, but also for its landscaping. Located in the picturesque setting of Shivalik foothills, the City Beautiful is also envied for its clean and green image.

Even as the UT Administration has been claiming “implementation” of its Greening Chandigarh Action Plan since 2001, the lackadaisical approach of the authorities concerned speaks volumes of the official apathy towards maintaining the rich legacy of the city’s well-planned landscape.

The narrative of a nature lover who shuttled between the UT Administration and the Municipal Corporation for almost a week to report the uprooting of a 15-year-old tree and seeking its re-plantation, has laid bare the ground reality when it comes to keeping Chandigarh green. 

The officials concerned, who were otherwise supposed to take suo motu notice of the grand old tree uprooted by a thunderstorm close to the busy Sector 15-16 roundabout, kept referring the tree lover to each other, citing jurisdictional reasons. If one goes by official claims, the total forest cover of Chandigarh has increased by 4 sq km due to plantation and protection activities carried out during the last couple of years. Official records put UT’s 48.01 sq km area under forest cover and another 9 sq km under tree cover. Boasting of “big achievements” in the field of environment protection, the UT Administration needs to contain official apathy and cut down red-tapism which belies its claims.

With Chandigarh boasting of the distinction of having the highest per capita vehicle population in the country, and over 10 lakh floating vehicles running on city roads, there is a rapid increase in the pollution levels. Official numbers also points to the disturbing trend that the number of vehicles far exceeds the number of trees added to the city’s landscape every day. Besides ensuring implementation of the Greening Chandigarh Action Plan in right earnest, the administration must take steps to not only plant more and more trees but also ensure that the existing trees are provided proper protection. Taking the “Green Movement” to the people can help succeed in keeping the city clean and green.