GUWAHATI, Nov 7 ? So once again development is going to cost the city?s environment. These trees have so far been providing the GNB Road area a shield with a verdant cover, against the pollutants. They have been a part of the environment in this part of the city for quite a long time. They will be lost to oblivion within a day or two.
These vibrant plants are now standing on the plots belonging to residential and office compounds owned by the Government and the private firms and in cases, by some institutions. The district administration has recently acquired these plots for the purpose of expansion of the GNB Road.
According to the estimates made by the Kamrup (Metro) district administration, the road has on both sides between Guwahati Club and Chandmari point, not less than around 226 big, medium and small trees, which will be required to be ?removed? during the entire exercise of expansion of the GNB Road.
But the eyes, which have already witnessed chopping of some of these vibrant plants, are yet to be moistened. It is a typical case of nature made to give way to the urge of human development. A senior official of the State PWD remarked ? ?these trees ought to be removed to pave the way for expansion of the road.? Why?
Pat came the reply from the official ? ?the drains are to be laid again by the sides of the expanded road?. The drains will have to be laid through the places where these trees are standing today, he said. One district administration official entrusted with the responsibility to ensure land acquisition for the purpose of expanding the GNB Road, was of the opinion that the trees on the south bank of the Silpukhuri tank would be required to be removed for the construction of the proposed bus bay in that area.
However, Guwahatians have some examples in their city of the roads being built over the drains. Also, there are scopes to save many of the trees even if the bus bay is constructed by the side of the Silpukhuri. For, what the buses will need is the passage for entering and leaving the bay.
It is really a disturbing question whether there will be any attempt to save these trees on the part of the environment groups and the authorities. For, replacement of these trees with a similar lush will take the city at least 20 years. It is high time hence someone gave a serious thought to save these trees. Can?t we start with these trees a campaign to develop the city as a model for others in matters of keeping intact the environment while keeping the process of development on?
The district administration has already written to the Kamrup East Division DFO of the Forest Department to remove these trees from the acquired land. In its letter to the Forest Department (No LA 16/2001/34/732/744 dated 1/11/2004) the district administration stated that there were some trees standing on the acquired land. The possession of the land is already handed over to the PWD for improvement of the road.
Therefore, the DFO has been requested by the district administration through the said letter, to ?remove the trees immediately from the acquired land including big trees standing on the road?. The letter requested the DFO to treat the matter as ?top most priority?.
The environment groups of the city had a few years back, rose in unison to resist the felling of some trees in the Judges? Field area. The support that struggle received from the people had made the authorities amend its original action plan for expanding the MG Road in that part in a way that provided a lease of life to those trees. But that did not affect the expansion of the MG Road.