Environmentalists in Chennai have been mulling over the subject of how to enhance green cover in the state. The conversation around greening Chennai really gained momentum only after Cyclone Vardah uprooted thousands of trees in December 2016.

Organisations working on biodiversity conservation initiated research projects on the city’s shrinking greenery, the number of tree plantation drives rose sharply and nodal agencies of tree management in the city were seen teaming up with organisations and individuals to find effective solutions. 

Nevertheless, there seems to be a huge disconnect between citizens and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) when it comes to tree management in Chennai. Adding to that is the lack of knowledge on the subject.

In a web panel conducted by Citizen Matters Chennai last Friday, experts and interested citizens came together to discuss strategies to improve the green cover in the city. T D Babu, trustee of Nizhal; R Ramalingam, a civic activist from Ambattur; Krishna Kumar Suresh; founder-CEO of Thuvakkam; V Bhuvaneshwaran, Executive Engineer, Parks Department, GCC; Muthu Karthick, Team leader (Research), Care Earth Trust and Meera Ravikumar, member, Swachh Gandhi Nagar provided various perspectives on tree plantation and protection. 

What threatens our trees?

Apart from trees ravaged by natural calamities, there have been several disturbing instances of wanton tree felling in Chennai. In the name of road expansion or monsoon preparedness, government departments including the GCC, highways department, and Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) chop down age-old trees in the city. 

Individuals are also to blame. In the commercial streets of Pondy Bazaar and Nungambakkam, traders chop down trees citing aesthetic reasons. Citizens also uproot trees in private properties in the name of vastu — an act that goes unquestioned. Many trees are felled to pave way for construction activities in Chennai. 

On the other hand, tree plantation drives in the city are not consistent or uniformly distributed, data suggests. According to data from the Care Earth Trust, the Adyar zone has 30% of Chennai’s greenery, followed by Teynampet and Anna Nagar. “There are fewer parks and public spaces in North Chennai,” said Muthu Karthick of Care Earth Trust. Care Earth provides scientific services in the area of biodiversity by assessing the human impact on the environment, strategic planning, and implementing training and capacity-building initiatives in the area of biodiversity conservation.

Activists or concerned individuals face multiple challenges in nurturing trees. “Saplings near the construction sites have a poor rate of survival. Bricks or sand are dumped on the saplings killing them,” said Meera Ravikumar. The absence of strong legislation to protect trees and to penalise offenders is a disadvantage for Chennai. 

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