This was indeed a smart move for the Smart City authority of Agartala. Now instead of mercilessly cutting the whole tree down into pieces in course of development process the Agartala Smart City Limited (ASCL) has now decided to uprooting the matured trees that fell on the way of road widening and taking them to somewhere suitable for replantation.
The practice of such replanting the matured trees for road widening was not a new concept- it is actually- the common practice in Western countries, and also in other parts of the country. But in Tripura in the past hundreds of ancient and big trees , some of them with almost iconic status and green beauty – were simply mercilessly cut down and made into pieces, much to the dismay and helpless despair of the ordinary citizens. However, this time the ASCL applied mind and used the tactics that was long awaited. The first such step was taken while turning the Airport Road four lanes from MBB Airport to Circuit House under Smart City project in Agartala.
Apart from re-plantation, the ASCL will also embark upon compensatory afforestation. This drive will be taken along with the Forest Department.
“We are alive to the issues relating to sustainability of ecology while expanding the width of the road”, said an ASCL official.