Concrete blocks around trees uprooting city’s green cover

Mysore/Mysuru: The Mysuru City Corporation’s (MCC) construction of concrete blocks and laying of interlock tiles around trees are weakening the roots and eventually killing trees, according to experts and environmental lovers.

Mysuru, known for its dense green cover is losing it rapidly. According to ecologists, hundreds of trees which had weathered many storms fell because of the sheer negligence of the authorities and the root cause is weakening of roots through such unscientific works, they said.

It has become a common sight to see trees along the road being choked by tar or cement laid around them. The root of the tree takes nutrients, oxygen and water. When concrete is placed over the roots, the digging required to create the concrete space damages the critical root structures. It also reduces the trees’ ability to take in water and oxygen. This will result in the tree’s death.

In their attempt to beautify the city, the MCC is laying concrete blocks and interlocking tiles around the tree’s roots. Pouring a concrete patio over tree roots can cause the tree’s death, said volunteers of Team Mysuru. The volunteers spotted such work on the footpath near the Fire Brigade, Saraswathipuram and asked the workers to immediately stop the concrete laying.

 They later called Mayor Shivakumar asking him to direct his staff not to kill the trees through such unscientific works. Responding, the Mayor directed the engineers to follow the set norms without damaging the trees.

Usually, trees fall when cement blocks are laid around the tree. When the blocks are fixed, the girth of the tree is less and over time it grows in circumference while the cement remains the same. These cement structures do not allow the roots of the tree to grow causing it to fall, the volunteers of Team Mysuru said.

“The MCC is spending a lot of money on paver blocks and cement footpaths, but they need to understand that the trees require at least one metre of open ground around its roots. If it is completely cemented, how will it get oxygen and water? Instead of retaining the trees, they are weakening them and could be in danger for others,” said Gokul Govardhan, Convener of Team Mysuru.