CDA urged to take better steps to protect ancient trees

Citizens’ body demands listed trees to be in institutionalised under civic body legislation.


Azam Khan June 08, 2011

ISLAMABAD:


Old trees in the city, especially the ones at the Buddhist Caves, need to be protected before they vanish. These ancient trees need to be “institutionalised” under the Capital Development Authority (CDA) legislation to preserve their heritage.


This was said by the Capital Citizens Committee (CCC) in a press conference on Monday. The committee said they had made a list of such trees and had sent it to the CDA “time and again”.

Addressing the press conference, CCC Convener Fauzia Minallah said that CDA has marked 200 trees across the city as “protected” but steps are needed to ensure them protection. She said that preservation of old trees is a common practice in many developed countries, even India has legislation protecting old and historical trees, but in Pakistan Islamabad is the only city where such trees are being preserved.

For the steps required for protection of these trees, Minallah advised CDA not to encircle the trees with concrete and stones - often used to make a “tharraa”- since it was important for trees to be surrounded by soil to remain intact. She added that the benches around the trees should be kept at a distance from their roots.

“There is no need to construct a wooden fence boundary wall around the trees as stone boundaries are already present. Also, the wood used in these fences is very weak and even the walls already constructed in other parts of the city are crumbling,” she said, adding, “These walls just result in wastage of funds and energy while also causing unnecessary cutting of trees.”

She further explained that a low cost boundary of around two-three times the diameter of the branch spread should be constructed. However, if that was not possible, then a wall along the diameter of the canopy (also called the drip line) could also be constructed.

Minallah also suggested that CDA should implement the incorporation of parks and green belts in its master plan for underdeveloped areas, which should be also put up on CDA website.

“Protection of trees requires a different approach than the one taken by CDA architects in Capital Park, Lake View Park and Saidpur Village. All these projects have proved to be unsustainable,” she said. “It is true that people need and should be given entertainment. However, they have paid a huge price for these places, not only financially but also environmentally,” she added. She further suggested that the CDA should search for more a sustainable solution to preserving the trees.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 8th, 2011.

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