BMC plans to import ornamental trees worth Rs10 lakh from Hyderabad to adorn just the Worli sea face; environmentalists say it is a total waste because trees will not survive
US president Barack Obama’s visit to the city is going to pinch the cash-strapped BMC. Civic officials have been instructed to carry out maintenance and beautification work in the city “without any budget limitation”.
“We have been asked to carry out the work without bothering about monetary constraints,” a senior civic official said.
For example, the BMC is going to spend Rs10 lakh to bring 200 date palms, also known as ornamental trees, from Hyderabad to adorn the Worli sea face.
“Before the visit, we have to decorate the sea face with date palms,” said Chandrashekhar Rokade, deputy municipal commissioner (garden and recreation). The move has come under criticism, especially after environmentalists said the money spent on them was bound to go down the drain.
Nilesh Baxi, environmentalist and member of Tree Authority, pointed out, “Usually, imported palm trees fail to acclimatise to the city’s weather. The trees will surely wither away within a few days.”
In 2008, several palm trees were planted at Mumbai international airport. Only a few have withstood the city’s climate and several of them perished within a year. Besides, of the 22 trees planted at Hajji Ali sea front, 16 have perished.
“The BMC doesn’t have the expertise or the manpower to maintain the trees. For instance, the depth at which the roots have to be planted has to be checked beforehand. Also, the trees need to be watered not only from the roots but also from the shoots. But the BMC cannot do that due to the unavailability of equipment,” Baxi added.
KS Kshirsagar, deputy municipal commissioner, said: “The BMC will ensure there are no encroachments on the roads. Some road dividers will also be painted.”
But additional municipal commissioner Ashish Singh said the painting had nothing to do with Obama’s visit. “We were waiting for the dry spell to begin work. The visit of Obama is co-incidental.”
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