How serious is NMC about greenery?

NAGPUR: The remains of 20 dead neem saplings on VIP Road, opposite Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) fields are asking how serious the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is about compensatory tree plantation scheme. The 20 saplings were planted in lieu of permission to fell four big trees by Rangilal family of Gaddigodam.
As per the new policy initiated by municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal, anybody wanting to fell trees has to plant five times more the number of trees proposed to be felled.Rangilal family had applied for felling four trees - one each of gulmohar, sisu, kawath and neem - at their bungalow in Gaddigodam. They also deposited the requisite money with the garden department. The 20 neem saplings that were planted were part of this policy.
As directed by the garden department, Rangilals planted 20 good quality grown saplings of about 6 feet height on VIP Road in August 2010. The saplings were guarded by newly introduced bamboo tree guards. However, the casual attitude of the NMC to protect trees was exposed when after just 10 days half of the saplings died. TOI on August 24, had reported how these saplings were vandalised by passers-by.
The remaining saplings suffered another blow last week when they NMC undertook road tarring work. To pave way for tarring, the bamboo tree guards were also removed and tarring was done right up to the saplings leaving them no space to breathe. Now, almost all the trees are dead.
During past seven months, the garden department never bothered to see how these trees could be saved. Had these trees grown fully, the barren patch would have been green and shady. Many morning and evening walkers use the road and relax on the chairs on the footpath.
The NMC officials were clueless about the state of saplings. Development engineer Rahul Warke, in charge of the Dharampeth Zone, did not respond to calls. Garden superintendent N B Shrikhande did not even know of bamboo tree guards being removed. "I will visit the site tomorrow and check up," he added. Shrikhande claimed not all trees are dead but its leaves were eaten by camels that move on the road to offer joyride to kids near the traffic park at Dharampeth. The dead trees will be replaced with new ones, he said.
A tree inspector working under him said bamboo tree guards were removed as they were damaged. On Thursday afternoon, after TOI called up officials concerned, some steel tree guards were being installed around the dead saplings.