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Transplanting trees, a killer move |
| Experts have questioned BMC’s act of transplanting 41 trees from the Dadar Swimming Pool Complex. In a letter to Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak, members of Tree Authority have likened it to killing the trees.
“Most of these trees are 80 to 100 years old (too old for trasplantation). Majority are fruit-bearing ones – guava, jackfruit, chikoo, ber. Most fruit-bearing trees and ones that are too old cannot be transplanted. Even Neem, Putranjiva, Christmas trees and Kailspati have been transplanted. What a waste of money, as these trees are classified as not transplantable,” the letter says. Dr Nilesh Baxi, member, Tree Authority, who wrote to the BMC, has said, “Over 28,000 trees were reportedly transplanted between Jan 1, 2000 to Jan 1, 2008. There is no record of where they are? A visit to all the trees transplanted during January 2008 was promised in the April 2008 meeting of Tree Authority. Today, it is first week of October 2009. We are still waiting for that visit. In other words, tree transplantation is a hoax, or a smokescreen under whose garb, trees are literally killed.” |