Axing eucalyptus: Chandigarh forms team to examine condition of existing trees

A day after the administration axed 100 eucalyptus trees outside the UT Secretariat in Sector 9, the Chandigarh administration while justifying the move constituted a team of experts on Tuesday to examine the condition of existing trees and the greenery in the city for future management of the eco-system.

A day after the administration axed 100 eucalyptus trees outside the UT Secretariat in Sector 9, the Chandigarh administration while justifying the move constituted a team of experts on Tuesday to examine the condition of existing trees and the greenery in the city for future management of the eco-system.

The Chandigarh administration while justifying the axing of eucalyptus trees constituted a team of experts on Tuesday to examine the condition of existing trees and the greenery in the city for future management of the eco-system. (HT File Photo)

In a press release, it was stated that a few exotic trees like eucalyptus, acacia auriculiformis, prosopis, leucaena etc., need to be replaced with indigenous species which are ecologically more valuable and climate-resilient.

The early planners of the city had a vision to establish an ecologically balanced city which supports all type of living things by properly arranging the structural components in terms of arrangement of building along with assemblage of multiple tree species based on the ecological values, it said.

In the same line, as per the directions of the authorities, the committee headed by the chief conservator of forests, Chandigarh, will examine the avenue plantations of the entire city and suggest a futuristic plan, the release said.

It is observed that many of the trees have grown beyond their silvicultural rotation period and posing a danger to the life and property of the people. Few trees in the city are also heavily infested which needs to be either treated or replaced with the same species to maintain original character of the treescape of Chandigarh, it said.

On February 7, in its inquiry report in the tree-felling incident in Carmel Convent School, Sector 9, justice Jitendra Chauhan (retd), a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court, suggested the creation of a green brigade by associating members of residents’ welfare societies, ultrasonic evaluation of mature trees, extensive survey of all dead and dry trees, single-window system to process tree-felling applications with faster delivery for trees posing danger to life and property, regular inspection of heritage trees and phasing out of eucalyptus trees