Will green efforts help Vellore to escape summer heat?
“No way,” says Dr RT Rajan founder SOLAI (social life animation movement), an NGO based at Christianpet on the TN-AP border in Katpadi.
VELLORE: Vellore district is known for hot summers where temperatures cross 110 degrees Fahrenheit. This year, temperature crossed 108 degrees F. Hence the frequently asked question is will greening Vellore reduce summer heat?
“No way,” says Dr RT Rajan founder SOLAI (social life animation movement), an NGO based at Christianpet on the TN-AP border in Katpadi.
Though Vellore is surrounded by hills and has Palar river – the district’s life line – flowing during rains, yet the all-pervasive heat, which stifles life during peak summer has been accepted by locals. Even today, the rampant pillaging and the rape of the Palar river for sand by unscrupulous elements has not resulted in any long term plan from the government to prevent it.
Thus, when the government started the TN Green Mission in 2021 with lofty goals, the question arises, “what was officialdom doing till now?”
“The early 1980s of the last century saw the Forest Department going for social forestry on a large scale when all hills in the then North Arcot district were covered. If that scheme was successful, then why are we again talking of doing something similar 40 years later,” asks a retired Forest Department official.
Large-scale corruption in the ways the scheme was implemented. Right from the purchase of seedlings and their planting, there was not much monitoring to speak off resulting in subordinate officials not bothering to implement the scheme faithfully, was uncovered then by the reporter.
“Another issue is that when officials cut trees for government schemes, they always say they will follow the government rule of planting a sapling, but till date nobody has ever bothered to check if this was done and if so where the sapling was planted,” revealed a Vellore-based social activist requesting anonymity.
The present changes in climate where unseasonal rains are more than during the natural season and high heat during monsoon months as experienced in Vellore and surrounding areas, locals - those who will finally feel the continuing ill effects of climate change – are yet to be informed or made aware of such changes. Though educational institutions might undertake a small project like cleaning river banks, they are merely promotional and do not serve any worthwhile cause, sources revealed.
Private players succeed in greening efforts
In an effort to combat various climate related issues, the state started the Green Tamil Nadu Mission in 2021 aimed at increasing green cover and providing sustainable livelihoods for locals. But, nowhere are Miyawaki forests considered despite their known benefits, including making damaged environments green, increasing oxygen, removing carbon and reducing temperature in the immediate vicinity, lowering air pollution and preserving the water table.
When asked, Vellore DFO Kalanidhi said, “Miyawaki forests will suit Japan where land area is highly restricted whereas we have a large land mass. We plan to plant 10 lakh saplings from October, he said.
Even the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board is of the same mind. When asked if Miyawaki forests would be planted in areas within their control, Vellore PCB officials said, “We have asked tanneries and industries with whom we interact to plant saplings of local varieties to increase green cover.”
This naturally means that supervision by the PCB if any will be minimal and will thus ultimately fail.
In Vellore district, proven examples of private parties raising and maintaining such gardens successfully exist. PCB green champion (2021) Dinesh Saravanan an IT engineer has over the last 10 years successfully raised improved and increased greenery in the hills surrounding Vellore.
He handed over 1 lakh saplings to houses in Vellore, broadcast 6.20 lakh seed balls in the hills around Vellore, planted more than 40,500 Palmyra seeds on tank and lake beds in Vellore district and planted 2,000 saplings on the Vellore jail premises. His regular visits to areas he planted has resulted in good growth of the saplings he planted specially in the Sathuvachari hills which some years ago were barren but are now slowly turning green.
Similarly, PCB 2022 green champion G Srikanth has nurtured a mini forest in a one-acre plot near Pernambut with sponsorship. Though he created a huge grove on the Palar banks at Ulli a couple of years ago with the aid of the then Collector, the subsequent incumbent based on wrong information demanded that he give up his efforts due to which the grove now languishes. “The grove kept away illegal sand miners,” he said.
TC Padmanaban former president of Thangal panchayat in Ranipet district has successfully raised a mini grove due to his personal interest and involvement in greening the area.
“As individuals are successful in raising such plantations, the government can provide each panchayat ward member in the state with materials to raise small plantations in a limited area similar to a Miyawaki forest and hold them accountable. This will be an easy way to increase greenery with public participation,” a social activist at Katpadi seeking anonymity said.
