SHOULD AVENUE PLANTATIONS ALWAYS BE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE AND NOT ABOUT LOCAL FOOD SECURITY AND FOOD SOVEREIGNTY? There was a time in my childhood days, I remember to see long lines of edible fruit trees, especially the Java Plum (Syzygium cumini,), an occasional mango tree, among avenue plantations. There were hundreds of native sacred Banyan trees (fig species) along the highways. But this has changed completely now. Now avenue plantations are either reduced to species that has little value for food for humans/fauna or full of exotic tree species like the Conocarpus spp., that are detrimental for the environment and humans alike. But, honestly, to this day, I could not wrap my head around, why avenue plantations should always be about pollution, climate change and not about food security and food sovereignty? Why exotic and non fruit or tree species of very little value for humans and fauna are promoted for avenue plantations in India? Is there some kind of food politics involved in it? By not promoting fruit yield tree species for avenue plantation, are we deliberately deprived of our right to access to food, thereby, forcing us as a society to depend and participate in the market? Are the avenue plantations a way of taking food sovereignty away from citizens? I don't mean to say that all the food we need should come from avenue plantations, however, the question is why millions are invested in propagation and promotion of detrimental exotic tree species or tree species that have perceivably less ecological benefits and does not contribute to food/nutrition security of citizens?
Please correct me if I were wrong but I also observe a huge knowledge gap in the way tree species are chosen with regards to the width of the lane/avenue, and the type of neighborhood (residential, industrial, highways). I think that there is absolutely no correlation between the width of the road and the type of neighborhood and the type of tree species planted in India. Is there any prescription available for the choice? If there is one, then what is the basis for this prescription and how far it is put into practice? Any information is highly appreciated. Thank you!
Dear Kanna, Thank you for this topic. It is a common practice especially during development where the govt thinks more of "planting trees" that grow quickly in small land area and are easy to handle such as Palm trees. Handling trees like Peepal, Banyan are too time consuming and they take up lof of space. Their roots could potentially damage the newly constructed roads. The pollution, climate change is just a mask.
Pratik Doshi thank you so much for sharing your kind information and enriching this discussion. I find your information very helpful, thank you!
Pratik Doshi Please correct me if I were wrong but I also observe a huge knowledge gap in the way tree species are chosen with regards to the width of the lane/avenue, and the type of neighborhood (residential, industrial, highways). I think that there is absolutely no correlation between the width of the road and the type of neighborhood and the type of tree species planted in India. Is there any prescription available for the choice? If there is one what is the basis for this prescription and how far it is put into practice? Any information is highly appreciated. Thank you!
Dear Kanna, there exists no such "prescription". For example, in Mumbai from where I belong, the trees choices are not fixed. The rule/law states that during the development or re-development of any area, if x number of trees are cut (no matter which species), x+y number of trees should be planted either in that area or somewhere else (again no tree species are fixed). So generally the developers choose fast growing trees to compensate for the lost ones. It is a stupid logic to replace a palm tree with for example a Banyan tree, but that is how bureaucracy works, unfortunately.
I suggest you one thing. At your place, the should be a local municipality and in there also a "Garden department". Try to ask those officials on what basis the tree species are selected and how is the evaluation done.
Note: Be prepared for some interesting answers :)
Dear Pratik Doshi thank you so much, I shall do that and I will keep you posted. Thank you very much for your suggestion, I find it useful.
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