Sweltering summer in the offing

Vijayawada: Denizens of Vijayawada should get ready to face the soaring temperatures in the ensuing summer season like never before, with the rise in level of pollution and environmental destruction. Here one should definitely blame the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) for its inefficiency in implementing the initiative of developing ‘Green City’ concept in full-fledged manner.

The VMC, which has planned to plant 1.7 lakh saplings on hillocks and developing green corridors on the side ways of major junctions before the arrival of summer season, has failed to execute it.

As of now 20,000 saplings were planted in the city by the corporation in the last 10 months and more than 300 medium and big sized trees were chopped for extension of roads. There are many factors for the diminishing greenery in the city.

One among them was that the corporation authorities are chopping the big and shade-providing trees turning the city into a concrete jungle. Majority of people fear that the situation will turn from bad to worse in the coming days with speculation of capital being established in Vijayawada.

Meanwhile, the residents expressing their concern over fall in number of trees in recent times and are worrying about the rise of temperatures in the ensuing summer.

The VMC officials, who promised of developing green corridors across the city, have virtually turned a blind eye on the execution of the project. Instead they are chopping the trees by ignoring the tree replacement technique followed in cities like Bengaluru and Cochin.

“The maximum temperature in summer is increasing every year and to bring it down, we need to improve the green cover in our city,” says Veeranjaneyulu, a resident of Moghalrajpuram.

However, the corporation officials have restarted the initiative two weeks ago by planting saplings at all the major roads and arranged more than 300 tree pots alone on the dividers in Mahatma Gandhi Road.

Admitting the delay for executing the project, VMC Commissioner G Veerapandian said that choosing the right place and species is crucial and it requires inputs from tree experts.

“Random tree planting drives just for the sake of publicity do not help. It is not about the number we gain or lose but the number we manage to sustain, so that there is a balance in the oxygen consumed and oxygen released ratio.

Corporate companies, voluntary organisations, educational institutions and others can cooperate in this noble cause by contributing tree guards to protect the saplings. Furthermore, resident welfare associations should cooperate in ensuring the saplings’ survival,” Veerapandian said.