KARACHI: An estimated one million environmentally ‘un-friendly’ trees of corynocarpus and eucalyptus planted under the nazim of Karachi, Mustafa Kamal, should immediately be replaced with Laal Badaam (Indian almond), Imli (tamarind), Neem, Peepal, Gulmohar, and Amaltas trees.
The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) in separate letters to the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, heads of Cantonment Boards, District Council and six district municipal corporations has claimed that these species are bulky and porous of soil has led to deepening of the underground water table by sucking up fresh water from nearby running conduits.
“The joint collars of these pipes remain vulnerable due to flow of pressure and uneven inner surface of soil leading to leakages”, officials of KWSB informed.
In the letters written to the civic bodies, the entity has appealed to them to come forward and make quick plans to generate funds and arrange manpower to start uprooting and start replacing the trees in question.
KWSB has also asked non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to initiate a drive in this regard and motivate the public on this issue, as well as generate money for fresh tree plantation.
It has appealed to the corporate sector and philanthropists of the city to generously contribute in all respects in this connection so that the tree plantation can give a fresh look to the roads and main streets of the city.
It has also requested the Forest Department to provide the city, environment-friendly trees according to their demands.
Naeem Qureshi, an environmental activist and head of National Forum for Environment and Health lamented that during the Nazims period (2005-2009), around 100,000 roadside trees had been uprooted and during 2009 to 2016 around 64,500 trees had been uprooted from the Karachi roads. During this period no tree plantation campaign had been initiated by any of the civic bodies in the city.
However some NGOs have periodically started tree plantation drives in different parts of city, which should be applauded.
It is pertinent to mention here that more than 18,000 trees have been uprooted from different sites in development projects in Karachi by Local Government Development Project Directorate.
Green Line and Orange Line projects, University Road, Tariq Road, Manghopir Road, Shah-rahe-Faisal and Hub River Road are areas where Project Directorate Administration carried out various jobs, according to a survey conducted by different NGOs.
1500 trees have been uprooted along the 5 kilometers of the Orange Line from Orangi Town to the Board of Secondary Education office.
More than 1,000 trees on Hub River Road and Manghopir Road have been removed.
Trees are being cut down in other development sites including the National Highway, an official of LGDP said.
