Greening urban areas need of the hour

RK Sapra

The population of Haryana is about 2.54 crore, of which urban population is about 88 lakh, which is about 33 per cent of the population of the state. 

The urban population is increasing exponentially as 60 per cent of the geographical area of the state is covered under the National Capital Region (NCR), where economic activities such as construction, industrial and vehicular traffic are increasing at a faster pace, resulting in heavy pollution in this region. This problem becomes acute in October-November, when farmers of North-Western India burn stubble in their farmlands to prepare it for sowing wheat. This annual phenomenon leads to very poor to severe category of the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi and Haryana, which badly affects the health of inhabitants.

Polluted air may cause respiratory disorders such as bronchitis, asthma, nose-blockage, throat and eye irritation, emphysema and lung cancer. It has been undoubtedly proved that air pollution not only increases the incidence of diseases, but also leads to lakhs of premature human deaths. According to the recent report of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the reduction in average age of residents of Haryana is about 2.1 years and about 29,000 persons die annually prematurely and it is among the top-three states, which are worst affected by air pollution.

Importance

Tree plantations are the cheapest and most effective way to mitigate air pollution, as they not only absorb the gaseous pollutants (carbon dioxide, carbon mono-oxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide) but also release oxygen. According to a study conducted at Hyde Park (London), this park reduces the concentration of smoke by 27 per cent. Trees absorb not only gaseous and poisonous metals, but also the pollution of sound. For optimum results, trees and shrubs should be planted close to the sources of noise and be as close together as practical to form a continuous dense barrier. Trees also help to lower air temperature and the urban heat island effect and have been called nature’s air conditioners. A single isolated tree may transpire approximately 400 litre water per day. This has been compared to five average room air conditioners, each with a capacity of 2,500 kcal/hr, running 20 hours a day. This reduction of temperature not only lowers energy use, but also improves air quality, as the formation of ozone is dependent on temperature.

Present status

The Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, in collaboration with Haryana Forest Department (HFD) published a report on “Trees Outside Forests (TOF) in Haryana”. According to this report, there are about 52 lakh trees in urban areas against the urban population of about 88 lakh in the state i.e. per capita less than one tree, while Jhajjar and Gurgaon are the only cities in the state, which have per capita more than one tree. The pollution level in Faridabad and Gurgaon cities is already dangerously high. Hence, urban plantations are required to be undertaken in these places in a mission mode. Due to higher population density, the per capita trees in NCR are lesser as compared to the state average of 1.6 trees. The economic activities in NCR are going to increase further in future, so intensive plantations are needed in this region. Hence, the state government should launch a campaign of “Greening the Urban Areas” to mitigate the ill-effects of pollution on its residents.

Action plan

The greening of urban areas will be successful only with the active involvement of residents as a majority of the areas are owned by them. Their involvement may be ensured through creating awareness about the benefits of plantations among the Resident Welfare Associations (RWA) in this task of greening the cities. The RWAs may motivate residents to plant trees in their homesteads and nearby parks. They may be motivated to mark occasions including birthdays, marriage and death anniversaries by planting trees. Residents may get the plants from the nurseries of the government departments. The state government may frame a policy to provide incentives such as discount in house tax on the basis of trees and their sizes to residents

For the success of plantations in urban areas, keen involvement of departments including Forest, Local Bodies, HSVP, etc., is necessary, wherein the Deputy Commissioner may play a crucial role in coordination. The departments concerned may work in their respective jurisdictions, the Forest Department, being the domain expert, may be entrusted with the additional responsibility of plantations in urban areas. It has been observed that in sectors of HSVP (HUDA), trees are planted under the electrical lines and as and when the trees start touching the lines, the electricity board prunes these heavily and unscientifically, thus causing irreparable damage. Hence, to avoid this type of damage, it is suggested that the saplings may be planted at the outer boundaries of the road avoiding plantations below the electrical lines. This will not only help in avoiding damage to trees, but will also help in saving the trees when the work of widening of roads is taken up in future.

Residents may plant whatever species they like, as even a blade of grass contributes in controlling pollution. They should not only plant trees, but also protect them. Trees and green spaces help keep cities cool, act as natural filters, noise absorbers and sinks for air pollutants. Trees serve the humanity and nature in a selfless manner. Hence, effective implementation of the campaign of “Greening Urban Areas of Haryana” is essential to mitigate the effects of pollution in urban areas.

(Writer is member, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, 

Trees that can be planted

Residents may consider planting some of the following tree species:

• Fruit: Amla, bel, beri, fig, guava, imli, jamun, jangal jalebi, kathal, lemon, mango and sahjan
• Ornamental: Amaltas, bougainvillea, chandani, dhak, erythrina, gulmohar, harsingar, hibiscus, jacaranda, jarul, kachnar, kaner, nag-champa, peltophorum, sadabahar, sawani and siamea
• Shady: Alstonia, arjun, bahera, bakain, barh, gular, kigelia, maulsari, neem, papri, peepal, pilkhan, semal, shisham, siris and teak