gogi

Roads versus trees, right?

Last week, Bangalore had some days of heavy rain, which is always welcome. However, the downpour also uprooted as many as 200 grown trees.

Asked why this should happen, a senior official in the forest department said one important reason was the habit (through the country) of cementing the entire base of a tree while laying or repairing a footpath. Trees, like us, need space to breathe, feed and grow; else, they weaken and eventually topple.

It is not just a question of leaving some space around the base; it has to be of a certain minimum size.

There is actually a guideline put out by the horticulture wing of the Central Public Works Department, about a decade earlier, which asks for a minimum area of six feet by six feet to be left free around any tree. Even the CPWD doesn’t obey it, in Delhi or elsewhere.

How, one can hear the heated objection, can there be so much space spared in a city for a mere tree? What happens to road widening? Are trees to take precedence over transport? Valid questions, but these bring us to a core issue, one we have raised in this column more than once.

We firmly hold, for instance, that there must be a limit to road widening if it means there will be no trees left standing on either side. If this means it conflicts with the need — as it must — for motorised traffic, the autos must go elsewhere. T

his would mean no less than a revolution in road engineering and design, at least in India; we believe it is needed.

Our cities and towns are very unappealing; walking and cycling are not a pleasure, with a lack of shade, breeze and space to do so safely and without breathing auto fumes.

Our entire road design is centred on auto use, which is extraordinary; the latter is meant to serve the human, not the other way round. Cities that are pleasant to live and work in — or pleasanter than the norm — are places where walking and bicycling are a pleasure, where one can use either pedals or one’s legs to do the bulk of trips for shopping, studying and recreation.

And, in the still better ones, for earning one’s living, too. We have been speeding in the opposite direction for decades and the results are all around us. Places where trees and pedestrian space are expendable need demolishing and redoing.

smera

So Right!

India doesn't even have 1% people owning cars and still we have no place for pedestrains.

Vehicles everywhere. PEOPLE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO WALK. ATLEAST NOT ON THE ROADS. CYCLES ARE SUPPOSED TO SIMPLY DODGE THE VEHICLES AND THE PEDESTRAINS

All our ministers make hundreds of overseas trips but they don't learn anything. They have to discuss the past in their speeches and manifesto is full of crap.

Road Safety is totally forgotten. They import millions of Tamiflu , just in case a few people catch it and let people die every minute on the deadly roads. Seem to have completely given up on Road Safety.

Its raining new vehicle models everywhere. Every auto manufacturer wants to cash upon the Indian buying power and even auto companies take no corporate responsibility.

TV ads show models/cars speeding and doing all sorts of acrobats. Most of these shoots are done overseas. ITS A COMPLETE MOCKERY.

Most of the cars are over-priced as compared to overseas markets, road conditions are pathetic and govt. makes all the mullah with huge taxes.

What do we do? ??