Killer tree sprang up breaking norms

KOCHI: The five children who died when a tree fell on their school bus at Nellimattam in Ernakulam district the other day were victims of a faulty social forestry policy the government enunciated some 25 years ago.

Worse, the norms of the Central government on avenue trees, introduced in 2009 to avert such mishaps, are observed more in breach in the state.  

Non-government organisations point out that rain trees or non-native species have been planted on the sides of roads as part of the social forestry scheme which kicked off in the nineties, and they are now posing a threat to passengers.

“This is the case in Muvattupuzha and Perumbavoor areas,” said Aziz Kunnappilly, president, Greenpeople, an NGO. “Nobody bothers to prune them in time.”

Experts point out that both these are to be faulted for the mishaps like the one happened in Nellimattam.

The Central guidelines, issued as part of the Indian Roads Congress, insist that tree species should be selected considering the suitability of plants for arid and dry region, moist areas, marshy areas and saline areas.

“Agencies cannot go in for aesthetics alone,” said Dr Shaju Thomas, head of division of environmental education and conservation at Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences (TIES), Kottayam. “The trees must have deep roots when they grow because they are durable and have long life. The selection must be made in consultation with the forest department and experts.” The common roadside species like rain tree which grow tall very fast are not suited for roadside planting, Dr Thomas said. 

“Such species often fail to withstand heavy rains and wind.” There are stipulations on the distance between trees, too. “The roots of trees which spread on the surface get entwined. This is more dangerous as the fall of one tree could set off a chain reaction, he said. While it is impractical to cut off trees such as rain trees, experts point out that the local bodies and agencies can prune them so that they do not fall. Pruning is important as most of the rain forest species are softwood trees, and the branches often gave way to strong winds.

"Now the Social Forestry department has started surveying avenue trees to see whether they have any damage inside,” B S Corrie, principal chief conservator of forests, told DC.

“District collectors have also been told to check avenue trees that pose threat to the public. What we understand is that at Kothamangalam a rain tree had caused the casualty. We use mixed species of plants on avenues."