Urban tree cover or in short the trees covering the periphery of an urban area aids to the scenic beauty of that city, which further directly enhance the ecological balance of that particular area. In the modern era, cities are often thought to be the hub of infrastructural brilliance that boasts of multi-storeyed offices and residential areas, shopping malls and multiplexes as well as sophisticated fly-overs. While all these structures give an outlook of development and modernity, at the same time the construction of these structures take a toll upon the natural scenic beauty of the city or the areas in particular where massive infrastructural development takes place.
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Conspicuously, one is aware that preserving of environment and infrastructural development cannot go hand in hand. In order to bring about certain infrastructural development, the prospects of the environment have to be compromised to an extent, however it shouldn’t be compromised to such an extent that the dwellers of the city themselves start questioning the very essence of development while compromising with the environment. As such, while walking on the path of urban development, authorities must come up with proper policies and interventions to create a salubrious balance between urban development and environmental beauty.
An astonishing as well as an alarming fact that came out in the public domain was that nearly 31 lakh trees were cut down across India in 2020-21 for construction and development of various public projects, raising eyebrows among the denizens. Although the government confirmed that over 3.6 crore seedlings were planted as part of compensatory afforestation, but the concerning fact is that those 3.6 crore seedlings would take years to grow. According to Global Forest Watch (GFW), the loss of tree cover in the northeast region during 2001-23 is over 75% of the country’s total tree cover loss. Northeast has lost 17,650 sq km of tree cover of the total country’s tree cover loss of 23,300 sq km in the period between 2001-23. Unfortunately, among the states of Northeast, the Assam state has recorded the highest loss of tree cover in that aforementioned period at 3240 sq km followed by Mizoram at 3120 sq km. Furthermore, in a news article published in Times of India, it has stated that the city of Guwahati has lost 1.02 thousand hectares of tree cover from 2001 to 2020 and over 300 trees have already been cut down in the recent years for various construction projects. The citizens can see that Guwahati is losing its vintage green cover for infrastructural development. Research shows that the city has become 1.5 degrees warmer in 50 years, with September temperatures this year reaching 38.2 degrees celsius which was 6.4 degrees above normal, but felt like 51 degrees celsius. In this regard, the felling of the trees is doing no good either, rather making the condition of the people even more deplorable.
The cutting down of trees in Guwahati in the name of development has again come under the scanner after the government decided to fell a few centuries-old trees in the Dighalipukhuri area for the purpose of construction of the 5.05 km long Dighalipukhuri to Noonmati flyover. The proposal was not at all supported by the citizens, who came out in large numbers to protest. Some students were also found guarding the trees at night to prevent them from being cut down in the dark. Ultimately, people of all ages protested, prompting the concerned authority to think of an alternative measure instead of cutting the trees.
The Guwahati city has always been covered with hills filled with lush greeneries and the mighty Brahmaputra flowing through the state. Certain areas of the city like Nilachal Hills, Narakasur Hills, Gandhi Mandap, Geetanagar Mandir area etc are still filled with greeneries but an effect of deforestation is also visible in those areas as well. Apart from these hills, the area of Dighalipukhuri since ages has always been filled with lush greeneries. The place has always been a favourite spot for the dwellers to either get relief from the scorching heat of the summers or enjoy a pleasant evening in the winter. The green cover of the area has always provided an air of freshness for the students of Cotton University, and Handique Girls’ college. In fact, the beauty of that area is further enhanced by the centuries old trees and as such cutting down the trees of the area shall only mean Guwahati losing the essence one of its iconic spots. Thus the protest and agitation taken out by the burgess is justified to the very sense of it.
Nevertheless, the construction and infrastructural development in the Guwahati have undoubtedly given the city a modern and beautiful view with the construction of the flyovers leading to reduction of traffic congestion, but one also cannot deny the fact that the vintage beauty of the greeneries of Guwahati has also slowly disappeared. As such while infrastructural development and construction is carried out, one should also pay attention to the fact that a total changeover of anything only makes it either a part of history or an account detailed in the books of history.
(The author is an advocate, Gauhati High Court. All views and opinion expressed in the article are the author’s own)
