Every ward in Mangaluru needs good lung space: DCF

Expressing the need for more lung spaces in the fast developing Mangaluru city, Deputy Conservator of Forests Y.K. Dinesh Kumar on Sunday said those who create and maintain lung spaces on their own lands should be identified and be given incentives.

Expressing the need for more lung spaces in the fast developing Mangaluru city, Deputy Conservator of Forests Y.K. Dinesh Kumar on Sunday said those who create and maintain lung spaces on their own lands should be identified and be given incentives.

Speaking at the formal inauguration of Nitte (Deemed to be University) sponsored urban tree counting exercise, Mr. Kumar said every ward in Mangaluru needs lung space. “Kadri Park is a huge lung space and it serves this (Kadri) area. There should be more such lung spaces in the city,” he said.

Referring to recent study by urban planner S. Sangeeta regarding the tree cover in city by analysing images on Google, Mr. Kumar said it was a matter of grave concern that some of the busy areas namely Bunder and Hampankatta practically have zero green cover. Less or near absence of green cover has serious consequences. The drinking water problem and marked increase in forest fires this year in Dakshina Kannada are some of the consequences of decrease in green cover, he added.

Nitte Vice Chancellor Satheesh Kumar Bhandary said indiscriminate urbanisation was causing greater harm to Mangaluru. “We are polluting our natural resources for our greed,” he said. Appreciating the initiative of Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research (NUCSER) of urban tree counting, Dr. Bhandary said tree counting should be an ongoing exercise. It should be held like Swachh Mangaluru initiative of Ramakrishna Mission by involving cross section of the society in protecting and preserving natural resources.

Chief Executive Officer of Mangaluru Special Economic Zone Suryanarayana Velnati and Environment Officer of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board B.R. Ravi also spoke.

Deputy Director of NUCSER Smita Hegde said the tree counting exercise started in January. “We are looking at the roadside trees in the city,” she said. So far they have studied roadside trees in Kadri, Lalbagh, Falnir, Balmatta, Hampankatta and Shivbagh. Roadside trees in all the 60 wards will be geotagged. “We have planned to submit a report by June 5,” she said.

Apart from students of different institutions of Nitte, Ms. Hegde said students from institutions namely St. Joseph Engineering College, Alvas Institute of Engineering and Technology and Srinivas Institute of Technology were involved in this exercise. Tree planter Jeeth Milan Roache and his group of tree planters were also involved, Ms. Hegde said.