BENGALURU: The Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST) has come forward with a detailed project report on conducting tree census, on the request of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). However, the BBMP is yet to give a go-ahead. The IWST has placed a proposal before the BBMP where the three-year-long exercise, including creating a health report card of all trees in the city, will cost Rs 4,32,67,486.
Following the directions of the Karnataka High Court, the BBMP is under pressure to conduct the tree census. It has also been pressurised by corporators, citizens and activists. On the delay of giving clearance, a BBMP official said, “The cost factor and duration needs to be re-checked. Approval needs to be sought from the council before taking the final decision.”
According to the proposal, IWST will carry out a research project of all the trees in the city. It will be the first-ever detailed study, involving resident welfare associations, experts, botany students from colleges and officials. The trees will be geo-tagged and its growth data will be monitored annually. M N Singh, IWST Director told TNIE that the study is not just aimed at counting trees and informing the BBMP, but to research on the trees and ascertain their condition. For the first time a report card for every tree will be made and marks will be given for a three-year period.
“For IWST it is a research project. The idea of undertaking the study is also to find if there are any rare indigenous trees in the city. A mobile application will also be developed for recording and monitoring data on trees,” Singh said.In the proposal, IWST stated that those trees identified as ‘unhealthy’ will not be axed immediately. “If the tree is not found healthy, its growth will be monitored for the subsequent years. The idea of the study is to restore as much greenery as possible in the city,” he added.