Planting bigger saplings in Thangal Bazar for developing a Green Imphal. What a laugh. Certainly, someone must have wrongly advised the state Chief Minister on the concept of a green city and its qualifications. That someone should be pulled up. Planting tree saplings big or small in the concrete jungle of the Khwairamband Bazar is a simple waste of money and time. As the report goes, the saplings were imported from Kolkata at the cost of Rs 2000 each and the iron tree guard to protect the sapling cost Rs 3000 each. Leave aside the VVIP drills and road blockades for the plantation drama, 500 such saplings and tree guards are going to cost the public exchequer Rs 25 lakhs without transportation charges. Coming back to the point, the concept of a green city is something beyond tree saplings in the city area. It is about creating green spaces within the city limits. Green spaces include lush green premises, forested green zones, roadside green belts, parks and water bodies. The sacred Kangla is one such green zone, despite its immense value in terms of archaeological heritage and the memory of a once great nation. We still have reservations on the upkeep and preservation of Kangla by state authorities. A minister in charge of Arts & Culture in the last SPF government invaded its sacred space with bulldozers, which led to an outcry from archaeologists. . More greenery needs to be added in Kangla, but certainly not with exotic greenery. The recent move of the government for development of water body at Lamphelpat is noteworthy towards this end. Lamphelpat and Takyelpat were once the natural by-ways of the Nambul River where excess water are stored during increase in the water level of the river. These two swamps are today dotted with government offices, encroachers, government housing complexes and a game village. These former swamps and hillocks within the city limits need to be reclaimed for furthering the cause of a green Imphal. In fact, water bodies and green spaces shouldoccupy at least 20% of the city`s surface, according to experts. These measures counter the “heat island effect” caused by an abundance of tarmac and asphalt. India has its share of green cities with planned cities coming up in many states. Mention may be made of New Delhi, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Gandhinagar and Thiruvananthapuram in India. In a green city, an all out effort to drastically reduce carbon emission is needed. This could be achieved through use of natural gas vehicle or CNG to reduce the pollution. New Delhi has completely switched over to CNG for public transport vehicles and it has done wonders to the environment in the capital city. We could start with the diesel transport vehicles from auto-rickshaws to buses by making the use of CNG mandatory. It is not only the carbon emission but the noise pollution caused by such vehicles, besides traffic congestion caused by its serpentine nature. The recent introduction of pedestrian only zone in the busy market area is also part of the green city process. Besides green spaces and use of environment friendly natural gas in public transport, use of renewable sources of energy is of utmost importance in the green concept. There are renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines, solar panels, or bio-gas created from sewage which should be tapped. And again, there is the concept of green buildings. Use of environment friendly materials in building construction should be encouraged while also taking into account the factors of light efficiency and temperature efficiency to do away with air conditioners. These are but some ideas which still need a debate. But, we need to put our heads together if at all the government is serious about the green concept.
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