Himachal Forum

[megri]

Shimla, Sep.7: The hill-resort town of Shimla is loosing
its forest cover gradually with concrete buildings and orchards
fast replacing the greenery which has been a prominent feature of
this place for all.

Surprisingly, most of the newly built structures do not yet have
the approval the Town and Country Planning Department.

It is not just the builders who are causing the maximum damage to
the green cover, there are many elements who have been felling
Deodar trees to make place for fruit orchards.

"In last 10 years, deforestation has been done on a large scale.
The town has changed to into a concrete jungle," says Rajan
Toderia, an environmental journalist.

According to an official survey, three dense forests in the upper
areas of Shimla district have vanished during the past few years
and apple orchards have come up in their place. Increasing
population, growing traffic and haphazardly constructed buildings
are replacing the lush green cover of the queen of hill stations.

The mushrooming concrete clusters in many parts of towns like
Sanjauli,Tutu,Kaithu, Summer Hill,Jhaku,Khalini and New Shimla
are depleting 17 green belts of the town. Around 6,000 trees have
been cut in last six years to make way for both government and
private buildings.

"This unplanned city still contains some vacant patches of land
that could be used to add beauty to the town. The growth of
clusters should be avoided. Government and the Forest Department
should look into the matter soon," says Shrinivas Shikant, a
Writer.

On many occasions, it is the Government's high-rise buildings
that violate these laws as most of the buildings are being
constructed by its departments. All these constructions are
spelling unending disaster to the already scarce Deodar trees.

Planners have expressed concern about the unplanned expansion of
the town which is overloading the slopes and destabilising the
area. This overloading of slopes may cause small landslides
initially, but, later, these could trigger bigger ones.

"No doubt, that the number of trees are decreasing and the
population is increasing but on the other hand during the
monsoons we plant trees every year. But it is not our
responsibility alone the people of the town should share the
responsibilities with us in making the city greener,"said Sohan
Lal, Mayor Municipal Corporation of Shimla.