BENGALURU: With the rainy days approaching, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) forest cell is planning to plant one lakh saplings across the city for which they have roped in 22 contractors.
Environmentalists have recommended that BMMP use iron guards instead of bamboo which curtails the survival rate of the saplings because either cattle eat them or are destroyed by citizens.
Sareena Sikkaligar, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCP), BBMP, said contractors will be billed in the third year after assessing the survival rate of the saplings. On Environment Day or some occasions, NGOs take saplings from the department and plant them, but they are not accountable for it and the BBMP is blamed for being unable to maintain the saplings, she said.
DT Devare, a tree activist, at Bangalore Environment Trust, said contractors do not protect the saplings with tree guards. “Iron guards need to be placed around the saplings to increase their survival rate,” he said and suggested that BBMP should make the tree pits before the onset of monsoon to reduce pollution. Activists also said that native species should be planted as it will help preserve the species and increase green cover.
Vijay Nishanth, Bengaluru’s tree doctor, said, “To save the city’s green cover, a partnership is needed between the public and BBMP,” adding that the city needs an annual tree census for the civic body and NGOs to come up with plans for the city’s sustainable growth.
BBMP budget for 2023-24 has allocated Rs 4 crore for the tree survey and Rs 7.5 crore to increase the number of trees, along with Rs 14 crore for tree canopy management.