CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is well on its way to completing the dense plantation drive along the Adyar after, according to corporation documents, having planted over 60,000 saplings. It has shifted focus to the Cooum river.
Senior corporation officials said, a two-year maintenance clause was included as part of the contract and private agencies will take care of all maintenance including watering, trimming, weeding and replacement of dead saplings before handing it over to the GCC. The drive, originally started by the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust, was taken over by the corporation last year.
“We have planted diverse varieties and native species. In Adyar, we planted two rows of mangroves and associated species along the bund. The saplings are doing well,” said a senior corporation official.
The primary aim, according to corporation officials, is to improve the green cover which at present stands at 11% in the city, to play a role in tackling pollution and rejuvenation of two of the city’s major rivers.
While it may work towards achieving its goals, a few activists believe certain points must be taken into consideration while undertaking a project of this magnitude.
“In Adyar, where the floodplain is already choked due to a lack of planning, it should be demarcated before taking up the plantation drive. The civic body could have involved experts and the public in the planning stages so there is transparency from the start - from the review of the species list to its implementation and maintenance,” said a city-based activist. Activists stressed the need for an external audit at all stages of implementation even in the presence of a two-year maintenance clause.
“Greening alongside the rivers is a good idea, particularly with the available locations getting scarce. Whether greening is done by the government or NGOs, it is important for continuous monitoring and external audits so saplings are raised safely as possible into maturity,” said Shobha Menon, founder-trustee of Nizhal, an NGO that works for the conservation of trees. The project was taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 14 crore for 12.6 km along the Adyar and Rs 6 crore for 55,000 saplings along the Cooum.
Green cover
Adyar