Eco-friendly face: Metro Rail to plant 5,000 trees near Ambazari

Nagpur: The NagpurMetro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL), which has been taking steps to make the Metro Rail project eco-friendly to the extent possible, has now decided to contribute to increasing greenery in the city. It has started work on planting 5,000 trees near Ambazari lake, off Hingna Road. As per the norms of compensatory afforestation, the agency has to plant only 1,840 trees but it is planting more than 2.5 times the number.
NMRCL managing director Brijesh Dixit told TOI that the agency plans to make its plantation ‘Little Wood’ of use to common citizens. “We will construct a walking track around the plantation. We will install benches and construct a huge canopy for common citizens,” he said.
The Metro Rail agency also has plans to develop a park at its Mihan depot. “We will dig a pond and charge it with water from a small stream flowing across the depot. Trees will be planted and steps will be constructed leading to the water body. This will be done with the help of a professional agency. We want to open the park for public, but this decision will be taken only after discussions with Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), which is the developer of Mihan,” Dixit said.
Purushottam Kadu, deputy chief project manager of NMRCL, said 312 trees will have to be chopped for the project inside municipal limits. The corresponding number for rural areas is 140. “As per compensatory afforestation norms, five trees will have to planted for one felled in city and for rural areas two trees will have to planted against one. This takes the total to 1,840 but we are planting 5,000 trees,” he added.
NMC has taken a security deposit of Rs22 lakh from NMRCL. This amount will be returned only after the planted trees reach a certain height. This will ensure that the trees are taken care of.
According to Kadu, NMRCL will spend Rs1 crore on plantation work, which includes maintenance for one year after plantation. “We have already started the work. Pits have been dug and fertilizers and pesticides have already arrived,” he said adding that two NGOS — Shrushti Paryavaran Mandal and Nature Lovers Fellowship Society — had been roped in for the purpose.
IN A NUTSHELL
* NMRCL will spend Rs1 crore on plantation work including maintenance for one year after plantation
* It will have to chop 312 trees will have to be chopped for the project inside municipal limits
* Under compensatory afforestation norms, the agency needed to plant 1,840 trees
* But it is planting 5,000 plants — which is more than 2.5 times the number
* Metro Rail plans to develop a park at its Mihan depot