Trees uprooted: 200 and counting

AHMEDABAD: Fully-grown trees have been the biggest casualties during heavy rains accompanied with strong winds which lashed the city in last fortnight. The intermittent showers have spelled disasters for the green cover with more than 200 trees falling down in different municipal zones of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation(AMC).
In the eastern part of the city, 150 trees fell at municipal ward Gomtipur, Rajpur-Hirapur during the first showers."We also lost two huge banyan trees in the area which crushed two persons. The high wind velocity coupled with incessant rains is responsible for the mayhem," said deputy municipal commissioner and in charge of parks & gardens, SK Langa.
AMC authorities admit that ongoing mega civic projects have led to loss of green cover. "We are making an effort for replanting trees which are coming in the way of the development. Recently, one tree from government colony in Paldi was replanted at a different location," said Langa.
In the recent five days of rains, majority of uprooted trees were reported from western part of the city, a total of 26 trees. On late Saturday evening, a huge neem tree fell on Shivranjani flyover disrupting the traffic flow coming from IIM-A. Also, the walled city of central zone which has the least density of green cover also lost precious seven trees during rains.
Experts say the development spree has exposed roots of the trees and with loose soil, the tall trees become victims during torrential rains. Their vulnerability is also affected by tree age, size and health, and local site conditions of exposure, slope, soil type, soil moisture and adjacent trees.
According to an AMC survey in 2004, the tree canopy in AMC area was 4.3 per cent when it was limited to 190.7 sq km. However, the average standard norm for green cover in the city should be 22 per cent of total city area. AMC has plans for a massive plantation drive in the city from July 31.