Kalamna, Bharatwada have just 2.2% green cover: Study
   Date :22-May-2019

 
By Kaushik Bhattacharya:
 
Ward No 14 has the highest number of trees with 40.1% canopy cover 
 
Despite numerous plantation drives conducted by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) in its jurisdiction, Kalamna and Bharatwada areas have the lowest green cover -- 2.2 per cent, reveals a study conducted by a local organisation named imaGIS recently. Both areas come under Ward No 4 of Lakadganj Zone. The situation of Hanuman Nagar Zone is also not good. Ward No 34 is also telling the same story as it is covering only 2.4 per cent canopies. According to the study, other places of Ward No 4 like Wanjra, Wanjri and Kalamna railway station also comes under the same status.
 

 
 
While in Ward No 34 covers Manewada, Omkar Nagar, Janaki Nagar, Jai Bhole Nagar, Gajanan Nagar and Shahu Nagar areas. “Less availability of open lands, wide roads and high density of residential plots are the major reason behind the less number of trees these areas,” said Sandeep Shirkhedkar, Director, imaGIS and a civil engineer to The Hitavada.
 
The organisation is observing the gree cover of Nagpur city from last 20 years with the help of satellite images and drone imaging. Similarly, the study revealed that Ward No 14 which covered Raj Bhavan, Sadar Gandhi Chowk, Gawalipura, NMC Head Office, Nagpur District Court, VCA Stadium, Railway Club, Tigers Gap Ground, Centre Point School, SFS College, Japanese Garden, Bharat Nagar, C P Club, Telankhedi Campus, Civil Lines, University Campus, Ramgiri, High Court and some part of Ravi Nagar has the highest number of trees with 40.1 per cent green cover in the city.
 
Ward number 10 which have Borgaon, Dinshaw Factory, Ramdeobaba College, Police HQ, Police LineTakli, Adarsh Colony, Pension Nagar, Mankapur, Chhaoni and Byramji Town also have good green cover with 27.5 per cent. Ward No 4 and 14 both have almost same population density but lack of open lands in Ward No 4 making it more polluted. “We are working on tree counts of the city also with the help of GPS and soon we can complete the work which will help the administration to monitor the survival rate of trees that we planted in past few years,” said Shirkhedkar.