TRIPURA:
The Agartala Smart City Mission Limited (ASCML) has taken up the initiative to relocate over 200 adult trees without cutting them, as part of the beautification of the city.
Speaking with The Meghalayan on February 22, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ASCML, Sailesh Kumar Yadav stated that the afforestation drive is for compensating the delicate ecological loss because of the road extension project.
“It is an attempt to save trees to maintain the ecological balance from our side. We will move over 200 adult trees and collaborate with the technical team of the Tripura Forest Department. Several trees have been found in the middle of the proposed road – the reason they had to be extracted,” he said.
He further informed that a green median will be raised on both sides of the road, starting from the newly built terminal building of Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport to Agartala city.
“Around 1000 trees will be planted and raised on both sides of the proposed four-lane road from the airport to the city. We are trying our best to not harm the existing green cover in the city in making Agartala smart. None of the old trees on the footpaths will be chopped off unless circumstances are unavoidable,” Yadav added.
Highlighting the initiative of planting 10 trees for one extracted tree, he reiterated, “The land has already been identified for compensatory plantation, with funds being earmarked for the same.”