Tree survey saves 8 trees but zoo animals may face inconvenience

Nagpur: After constant pressure from greens, a joint tree survey was finally conducted at Maharajbagh zoo after which around eight above-50-year-old trees are likely to be saved from felling for construction of a new road connecting North Ambazari Road with Amravati Road in Sitabuldi. But the road seems to be a menace for animals in the zoo, especially as it passes just 30 metres from the blackbuck enclosure.
TOI had earlier reported that the garden department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) had sanctioned permission to chop 159 trees for construction of the 12-metre wide and 390-metre long road. The road will start opposite Mure Memorial Hospital on Amravati Road and end near Matru Sewa Sangh hospital on North Ambazari Road. Out of the trees marked for cutting, about 26 trees are under the vicinity of Maharajbagh zoo. On Monday morning when the contractor and labourers reached the spot with axes to chop down the trees, employees of the zoo alerted Green Vigil activists who reached the spot and opposed the tree felling, demanding a joint tree survey.
Following this, NMC’s garden department, public works department (PWD) and Green Vigil Foundation conducted a joint tree survey on Monday evening. During the survey, it was estimated that 19 fully-grown trees inside the zoo premises were proposed to be cut. Out of them, eight marked trees which were not obstructing the road were crossed off by the inspecting team. These included a different tree specie like a 200-year-old Gorak Imli tree and almost a century old Keshiya, Karanji and others.
Though the road has been given a no-objection certificate from Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV), experts fear that it will cause inconvenience to the zoo animals. Executive engineer Dilip Jamgade informed that a compound wall, at a height of 2.65 metres above ground level, will be constructed on either side of the road. “We will construct the wall first so that animals are not caused any disturbance,” he said. Zoo and PDKV officials kept passing the buck on each other when asked about ensuring protection of animals.
Suggesting some precautionary measures, zoo expert and director of Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Pune, Neelimkumar Khaire said that constructing a tall double wall will help in restricting noise pollution. “It will also help in absorbing the vibrations caused due to heavy vehicles. Also, the road patch alongside the zoo should be made a no-honking and no-plastic zone,” he said.
He added that as herbivores like black bucks lick wrappers of chips and other food items in search for salt, it should be ensured that commuters do not throw plastic.