8L trees counted in 60% of city, total may touch 12L

Indore: The city is expected to have around 12 lakh fully-grown trees and of them, Indore Smart City Development Limited (ISCDL) has so far counted around 8 lakh trees in about 60% of urban areas. A new tender will be allotted on Friday to complete the survey in remaining areas.
ISCDL, while working upon the concept of ‘Clean Indore, Green Indore’, had around five months ago launched a tree census as part of a five-years-long programme to help increase greenery and enhance biodiversity of the country’s cleanest and smartest city.

According to ISCDL CEO Divyank Singh, a private firm was assigned the census that include geo-tagging of each and every tree along with compiling all required information about it – numbers along with counting the tree ward/land wise while details such has indigenous, non-indigenous and heritage tree (aging 50-years or more) along with tree canopy summary and other details are also being noted.
“In the census, help of camera-enabled drones were also taken while a team was roped in for counting of trees along with compiling aforesaid details and geotagging of each and every tree” he said, adding that so far, data of a total around 8 lakh fully-grown trees has been completed by covering around 60% of the urban area.
Singh, quoting the report of around 60% of work that has been done so far, revealed that most of the trees are indigenous while about 20-25% are non-indigenous species.
Few of trees counted so far were mechanically cut and dead while a few trees were marked as poor, dangerous, diseased and uprooted, the CEO said, adding that as per economic importance, more than two lakh trees are timber and more than one lakh trees each are ornamental, fruits-bearing trees, medicinal plants and as many trees have been marked as avenue.
“In next five years of its working, we will receive, examine and consider the applications of tree cutting and trimming, based on the situations and guidelines, along with helping the civic body in taking appropriate actions on reporting illegal tree felling/trimming” he said.
He added that in the first six months of the census, all the trees will be geotagged and similarly, tree censuses will be taken out on a regular intervals to check, if any illegal felling/trimming of trees won’t be reported, else appropriate actions will be taken.
“The census will also help us in planning of plantations in open spaces along with tree transplantation, if needed, through scientific method” he said, adding that a new tender, which could not be allotted due to model code of conduct, will be assigned on Friday to complete tree census in the remaining 40% urban part of the city.
Though the tree census is yet to be completed, Indore-based botanist OP Joshi said that the green area of the city should be not less and at least equivalent to the residential/commercial/industrial areas to help maintain the PM-10 and PM-2.5 particles under control along with maintaining good oxygen level.