Kerala: Make planting of trees compulsory

KOZHIKODE: The unbearable summer heat wave has forced several citizens to put on their thinking caps. A majority of them have now called for a Green Policy in town planning which should insist on a certain number of trees to be present in a compound, irrespective of whether it is a house, office or business-trade complex, apart from retaining as well as planting trees, in order to secure construction permits.

Discussions are on among environmental activists, students of educational institutions in the city and members of corporation council. It was also suggested that an Ahmedabad model development is ideal for the city which insists on planting trees, and specifying the number of trees that are mandatory in the premises of a building.

Regional town planner K.V. Abdul Mallik told this newspaper that it is high time we discuss about ensuring trees in building premises and on both sides of all city roads. We have been also discussing about the urgent need for ensuring a green cover for the city, he said. “Policy-level decisions should come from various administrative bodies and state government,” he added.

Many local administrative bodies across the nation have already made it mandatory to ensure sufficient number of trees in the building compound for getting building permits, it was pointed out. Green Hope Society president K.K. Shaju told this newspaper that an expert committee should be formed to decide on the plants in different parts of the city and number of trees on each type of land including hospitals, houses of different sizes and educational institutions.
“There should be also an expert ‘plant (tree) manager’ for each ward of the corporation,” he added.