In a significant development for Nagpur's urban greenery, authorities have discovered thousands of additional trees suffering from concrete choking, even as a major de-choking drive continues across the city. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has identified around 3,300 new locations where trees remain trapped by concrete and paver blocks. This revelation came during a review of an ongoing initiative that has already freed more than 3,200 trees initially marked for rescue.
High-Powered Committee Reviews Progress
The update was presented at a meeting of the High Court-mandated high-powered committee on Friday. The committee is chaired by Divisional Commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari. Officials stated that the panel meticulously reviewed progress reports submitted by various civic agencies. These reports were first cross-checked through rigorous field verification conducted by a team of three independent experts.
"Progress reports were received from the departments concerned and were cross-checked through field verification by the three experts before being placed before the panel," Bidari explained. She detailed the methodology, noting that roads under different agencies were assigned to specific experts for inspection. Their assessments were based on a set of clearly defined parameters to ensure consistency and thoroughness.
Zonal Strategy and Agency-Wide Updates
To ensure effective monitoring, Nagpur city was divided into ten zones. Experts have already completed inspections in zones 1 through 5. The next phase will see another expert covering the remaining zones, from 6 to 10. All reports submitted by these experts underwent a stringent process of cross-verification before final acceptance by the committee.
The meeting also reviewed agency-wise status updates. The Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) reported completing de-choking work around 152 trees under its jurisdiction. MahaMetro informed the panel that it had finished the exercise at all locations related to its projects. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) stated that while it has undertaken de-choking on several stretches, work is still ongoing at some sites due to concurrent road-related activities.
Focus on Long-Term Tree Health and Coordination
Divisional Commissioner Bidari emphasized that the core objective of the drive extends beyond the immediate removal of concrete. The focus is on ensuring the space around tree trunks remains open and healthy in the long term. She stressed the critical need for improved coordination among all civic and infrastructure agencies.
This coordination is vital to prevent the recurrence of the problem. Bidari highlighted that future road construction or footpath works must be planned and executed in a manner that does not lead to the re-choking of these vital green assets. The committee's work underscores a growing recognition of the need to protect urban trees from infrastructural pressures for a sustainable city ecosystem.
