Earth Day: Ample funds, land needed to increase green cover

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Amritsar, April 22

Efforts on the part of individuals and organisations to plant saplings all year round and underscore it by marking Earth Day, which is observed every year on this day, are momentous. These baby steps are vital to create awareness among people in general and youngsters in particular about increasing the green cover.

However, according to experts, the way the city is expanding at its seams due to fast urbanisation, planning, sufficient funds and abundant land are required to increase the green cover in the holy city.

Mandeep Singh, an urban planner, said raising the green cover was not bringing in the desired results as it was not linked to commercial interests of the state. He suggested that on the line of Rakhs, earmarked forest areas, the government must set up pockets to plant commercially remunerative trees like tahli (sheesham), kikkar, poplar and others. Of late, tahli has become expensive and difficult to find in the market. After the passage of a considerable time, the government can allow some of the reserved areas open for commercial exploit and then replanting it for future use.

Balram Kumar Sharma, president of the Punjab Sudhar Sabha, said houses and commercial projects were being added to the city’s topography. The phenomenon is not restricted to a side or direction of the city, but all pervasive. Only noticeable addition to the green cover during the past two decades in the city was Amrit Anand park.

Calling it a regressive move he said several concrete structures and wide motorable roads were built inside public parks like Company Garden and Gole Bagh, two vital green lungs of the city. He questioned the reasoning of laying roads inside the parks when there is restriction on taking vehicles inside them.