Concrete choking trees, Kurukshetra to ensure access to water isn’t blocked

Nitish Sharma

Kurukshetra, March 17

The excessive use of paver blocks and concrete around trees, in the urban areas, has not only hampered their growth but has led to many of these slowly dying.

Mindless concretisation can be seen everywhere, including in markets, residential areas and along roads.

Narender Kumar, an activist, said: “Trees are not meant to be confined by surrounding them with concrete, installing paver blocks and constructing structures around them. All this construction makes the roots weak, increasing the possibility of trees giving way. The trees should be freed and the authorities concerned should deconcretise these at the earliest.”

The environmental expert said when concrete was placed over roots of trees, it damaged the critical root structures, inhibiting the tree’s ability to take in water and oxygen. As a result, the trees failed to get nutrition and died.

Dr Naresh Bhardwaj, an executive member of Green Earth NGO said: “Concrete leaves no space for water seepage, resulting in a dip in the level of groundwater and water logging in the city. Even after sparse rainfall, roads get waterlogged. If there is ample space around trees, the water will be able to seep into the ground. Because of the concrete, the grip of roots in the soil decreases and trees end up falling during storms.”

Dr Bhardwaj also said that National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2013 had ordered the authorities concerned to ensure that concrete around trees, within one metre, be removed and due precaution be taken so that no concrete/ construction/ repair work is done at least within a 1-m radius of the tree trunks, but to no avail.”

He said their NGO had been working in this direction for the last few years and had deconcretised a number of trees in various markets and sectors of Kurukshetra. But there were still several areas where trees with cemented structures and paver blocks could be spotted.

“We have raised the matter with the authorities concerned in the past but there hasn’t been an encouraging response. However, the Kurukshetra Development Board has been doing a good job at Jyotisar by keeping space around trees.”

“We had conducted a study nearly five years ago and even planned to file a case with the NGT but due to a few reasons, the case was not filed. If the administration shows some interest, we would be willing to share the details and help them deconcretise the trees,” Dr Bhardwaj said.

Meanwhile, Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Municipal Commissioner Dr Vaishali Sharma, said: “We will start a special drive for deconcretisation of trees very soon. A condition for future development work tenders would also be introduced that makes it mandatory to avoid concretisation around trees during construction work.”

NGT order from 2013 remains ignored

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2013 had ordered the authorities concerned to ensure that concrete around trees, within 1 metre, be removed and due precaution be taken so that no concrete/ construction/ repair work is done at least within a 1-m radius of tree trunks, but to no avail. — Dr Naresh Bhardwaj, member of an ngo