Sir,

This is with reference to your recent WhatsApp Us titled ‘Will this oxygen supplier at Railway Station survive?’ It is a wrong concept to say that space is necessary around the stem of trees to allow the water to reach the roots.

Generally, these trees belong to the adventitious root system where the roots grow laterally to quite a distance of several metres. It is not very uncommon even to see the roots making their way into sewage lines in search of water. The other type of roots is the ‘Tap root system’ where the root grows deep down vertically for a considerable distance. As such water seeping from around the stem may not be of much significance.

Apart from this, trees have the strength to uproot even the rocks, let alone cement slabs or asphalted surface by their growth. At the most, the stem may undergo marginal circumferential constriction.

However, I do agree leaving some space around the trees adds to the beauty but it may not be mandatory.

It may not be out of place here to write about the falling of trees during monsoon. Trees become susceptible to fall mainly because of the hugeness of its super structure and also for losing its uniform growth as they lean precariously to one side, thanks to CESC chopping off the branches on one side.

To avoid this, I would suggest the authorities to plant more number of flower bearing trees which grow to a height of not more than 20 to 30 feet.

– Dr. C.G. Narasimhan, Mysuru, 29.6.2018

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