By Dr Arvind Kumar
Sometimes small events organized in small places prove to be gigantic one in their scope and universal appeal. Recently, 38th series of popular environment programme ‘Tree Talk’ was organized in the Botanical Garden, Kashmir University. The event was organized to pay tribute to former HoD Botany Department and renowned Botanist late Prof P N Kachroo. The programme called ‘Tree Talk’ is designed to popularize environmental and ecological balance is becoming popular with the experts, academia and forest department functionaries who take part in the serious with increased enthusiasm. This is a healthy step and entails the potential to be of much utility if the concept is expanded to encompass more aspect of ecological protection. However, this programme is yet to make its mark even in Jammu where it originated.
Viewed in a broad perspective, most of the urban areas in India are faced with ecological degradation on account of haphazard expansion of the city. New urban localities are coming up without any plan and adequate sanitary facilities. There is a need to organize Tree Talk series in all towns and cities to focus the attention on providing green cover. The concerned officials of local administration should be instructed to devise plans for plantation of trees in the city, for providing parks in congested areas, for planting shady trees along the highway and other streets, for a scientific collection and treatment of garbage and cleanliness of the city. Local administration in each city should initiate Green City movement with the active participation of local people and civil society.
