Chennai Not still not as developed as other metros in the nation. Green? Very Green?
Well it might come as a surprise but recent survey's say that Chennai has one of the least amounts of green cover among the country's metropolises. The fact is that Chennai does not have many vibrant green spaces, except for niches like the Guindy National Park and the Adyar Theosophical Society grounds.
CHENNAI METROPOLITAN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY records, Chennai city has only 2percent of the area as parks. Other surveys point out that green cover extends to just 9.5 percent of Chennai's geographical area within city limits, and an even lower 4.5 per cent in the suburbs. Compare this with a green of 20.20per cent in Delhi , 19 per cent in Bangalore, 15 per cent in Kolkata, 14.09 per cent in Mumbai and a whopping 35per cent in Chandigargh. "Estimates from the surveys we are carrying out suggest that we have less than 4.5 per cent tree in Chennai City," says D.Narashmhan, Associate Professor Department of Botany, Centre for Floristic Research Madras Christian College, who has been coordinating a tree census of the city in association with stakeholders. "Cities need to have at least about 15 to 20 per cent tree cover," he says.
WHAT we NEED?
- The Trees we have here such as the gulmohar and coconut are not the shade-giving, foliage-rich varieties. What we need are canopy trees like the rain tree and hardy coastal trees like vennangu, pungam, poovarasu, punnai, badam, etc.
- Framework to integrate trees in city planning to improve the urban environment, ad designated policies and institutions to safeguard trees, like a Tree Authority.
- Concept of urban green spaces enshrined in our development guidelines, including vacant plots reserved for mandatory development into a natural forest.
