Kolkata Community Portal || Kolkata Community Portal - News, Reviews, Comments & Discussion

Now, Flyovers To Turn Green, Gardens To Come Up In Space Below Flyovers; Parks To Be Revamped

By siddharth22, Section Development
Posted on Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 10:06:54 PM EST

In a major drive to increase Kolkata's green cover, gardens will be created in the space below all city flyovers. And while driving up or down these flyovers, one will spot creepers atop their railings on either side.

The state forest department will launch this green drive with the AJC Bose Road flyover, said principal chief conservator of forests Atanu Raha. The entire stretch below this flyover from Park Circus to Race Course will have gardens interrupted only at the Exide crossing.

Once this is through, the department will move on to the other flyovers like Taratala and Gariahat. While the parking lot below the Gariahat flyover will remain, the remaining space below it, barring the Rashbehari crossing, will be beautified with gardens.

Planting An Idea

Creepers to climb up the sides of AJC Bose Road flyover. Other flyovers to turn green later.
Instead of steel dividers, small trees will act as dividers along Central Avenue.
Mandatory clearance from forest department for developers before building plan sanction.
20% of land to be used for green cover by developers on a mandatory basis.
A memorial garden on Canal West Road, where citizens will be encouraged to plant saplings.

Other steps for a greener Kolkata will include planting small trees and shrubs along dividers of all major thoroughfares in the city. Railings that serve as road dividers now will be uprooted to make way for these trees and shrubs. Central Avenue will be the first major thoroughfare where saplings will act as green dividers. Saplings will be planted all along the vast stretch from Dharamtala to Shyambazar Five Point crossing.

The project will also seek to restore greenery in city parks where the green cover has been eroded and add greenery in parks which have managed to retain some of their green cover. This will begin with north Kolkata parks.

Trinamool MLA Sadhan Pandey said a large garden will be created along a 2.5 km stretch on one side of Canal West Road. Under the Central government's project, people will be encouraged to plant saplings in the garden either in memory of their loved ones or on happy occasions in their lives like wedding anniversaries. A parking bay for 300 cars will also be built beside this garden.

Raha said the forest department will enforce the West bengal Trees (Protection and Conservation in non-forest areas) Act, 2007. Under the law, builders need to get a `planting approval' from the department before constructing a building or any real estate project. Norms laid down under the Act state that 20% of the construction area must come under green cover if no trees are felled for a building project. And for every tree felled, five trees must be planted.

Builders must apply for the planting approval with a sum of Rs 1,000.

Source:The Times Of India,04-04-08

< Govt Approved Creation of Special Regions For Information Technology Investment Regions (ITIR) | Jutting Out Parking Lot May Mar Heritage Plan,Underground Parking Will Not Exactly Be Underground >