Painting trees has caused them irreversible damage, experts tell Chandigarh railway station authorities
Authorities at the Chandigarh railway station are facing the ire of environmentalists over their decision to paint all trees in its vicinity. Experts say that the chemical paint will cause irreversible damage.
Chandigarh: Officials with the Chandigarh Railway station have landed on the receiving end of ire from environmentalists over their decision to have all trees within the vicinity of the station painted in tricolour. A similar initiative was carried out by the Residents Welfare Association (RWA) of Sector 49 D in the state capital of Punjab and Haryana.
While experts asserted that chemical properties of the paint cause irreversible damage to the trees, Station Director Hari Deep Kumar told Indian Express that the move "is just a beautification drive". Kumar went further to claim that there is nothing wrong with painting trees adding, "it is very common". The initiative was first carried out by the RWA of Sector 49-D, Chandigarh, who painted more than 250 Alstonia Scholaris trees in tricolour. Following an objection by the civic body, the residents whitewashed the trees.
However, Krishan Pal who is the executive engineer of the horticultural wing of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh told the national daily that the railways have no permission to carry out a painting drive since the colours will damage the trees. It is also a brazen violation of the Chandigarh Tree Preservation Order, 1952.
An environmentalist told Chandigarh Newsline that the paint will cause blockage in the trees' conduction channels leading to cell damage which will ultimately result in a slow death. He added that sometimes tree trunks are painted in white but it is only done to protect them from insects and fungal diseases. This white paint is lime wash mixed with fungicides and insecticides, he said.
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