HC to BBMP: Pay contractors after a year, put plantation details online

High court suggests a plan to ensure the saplings are maintained well: Pay the contractor an year later!

High Court of Karnataka (HC) suggested that BBMP make payments for tree-planting contracts only after monitoring the survival rate of the seedlings for an year after planting, to ensure that the seedlings planted are protected and maintained.

In a suo motu PIL (WP No. 7288/2011) filed by former justice D V Justice Shylendra Kumar for  mass tree felling in Jayamahal Palace road in 2011 for widening the road, BBMP Advocate Subramanya R informed the court that the afforestation tenders for this year have already been awarded.

Amicus curiae Vaishali Hegde pointed that the agreements that are already signed for this year have loopholes. The agreement has a clause that allows the payment for the work done as and when the bills are produced, she told the court.

In order to hold the contractors responsible for the plantation and maintenance of the seedlings,  Bench comprising of Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice H G Ramesh suggested BBMP to consider making payments only after a year after checking how many saplings have actually survived.

Since the contracts are already awarded, the necessary changes in the agreement can be made only in the future contracts. In the previous few hearings BBMP had made a submission to the court stating that in an urban setting, the mortality rate of seedlings is 10% per year for the first three years of the maintenance, for various reasons.

Contracts should be awarded for long term

Vaishali also highlighted that BBMP is spending crores of rupees for plantation of saplings but they fail to monitor and maintain them. She pointed that the duration of the tenders passed this year for the maintenance is only 8 to 9 months, with the last date for this year’s contract for maintenance ending on March 3, 2015. There is a need for maintaining the saplings for a long term, she reported.

‘Upload details on website’

In order to bring in more transparency, the court has asked the BBMP to provide the data related to the number of saplings planted, location, survival etc on their website. All the information should be easily made available for the public to monitor themselves, said the court. Advocate Subramanya informed the court that same has been listed in the action plan and will be done.

RFOs to be deputed to overcome shortcomings in staff

In the previous hearing, Vaishali Hegde had observed that the BBMP Forest Wing is highly understaffed. Following this, the BBMP advocate Subramanya R informed the court that BBMP Commissioner has requested the Karnataka State Government to depute three Rain Forest Officers to BBMP. Along with them, the Commissioner has also requested to depute 34 Deputy Rain Forest Officers to BBMP.

The hearing was adjourned to August 8, 2014.

Comments:

  1. Srinidhi S says:

    some sane decision..but what are the practical implications? do the co’s planting have really deep pockets to wait for one year for payment? Or does it help if they plant one year old tree instead?
    I think the later makes sense!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

ஈரநிலத்தில் சென்னை குப்பை எரிவுலை திட்டம்: வடசென்னைக்கு வெள்ள அபாயத்தை தீவிர படுத்தக்கூடிய மற்றொரு திட்டம்

The proposed Waste-to-Energy plant in Kodangaiyur will take a heavy toll on the area's ecology and the health of people living in the locality.

பெருநகர சென்னை மாநகராட்சி, ஒருங்கிணைந்த திடக்கழிவு மேலாண்மை திட்டத்தின் (Integrated Solid Waste Processing Facility (IWPF)) கீழ், 2100 மெட்ரிக் டன் கழிவுகளை எரித்து மின்சாரம் உற்பத்தி செய்யும் எரிவுலையை கொடுங்கையூரில் நிறுவ திட்டமிட்டுள்ளது. இந்த  திட்டத்தின் தளம் - 01 குப்பை எரிவுலை (Waste-to-Energy Facility) திட்டமிடப்பட்டுள்ள இடம், ஈரநிலமாக அறியப்படும் சர்க்கார் நஞ்சை பகுதியில் அமைந்துள்ளது, இது வெள்ள பாதிப்புக்குட்பட்ட ஒரு பகுதியாகும். அதே நேரத்தில், இந்த இடம் ஏல ஆவணங்களில் (Tender Documents) குறைந்த வெள்ள பாதிப்புள்ள பகுதியில் உள்ளதாக தவறாக சித்தரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.  இதனால் இப்பகுதியில் சுற்றுச்சூழல் பாதிப்பு ஏற்பட்டு மழைக்காலங்களில் அதிக வெள்ளம் ஏற்படும் வாய்ப்பை உருவாக்கும்.  இயற்கையான ஈரநிலங்களின் முக்கியத்துவம் பெருநகர சென்னை மாநகராட்சி - ஒருங்கிணைந்த திடக்கழிவு மேலாண்மை திட்டம் மூலம் மண்டலம் 1 முதல் 8 வரை உற்பத்தியாகும் திடக்கழிவுகள் மற்றும் மண்டலம் 9 முதல் 15 வரை பிரிக்கப்பட்ட…

Similar Story

Caught in the tides: Can Chennai protect its Olive Ridley turtles?

This video examines the mass mortality of Olive Ridley turtles along Chennai's shores, emphasising the need for immediate conservation efforts

Chennai witnessed an unprecedented environmental disaster this year, as more than 1,000 dead Olive Ridley turtles washed ashore in January. The mass mortality event has put the Forest and Fisheries Departments, along with voluntary organisations, on high alert, prompting collaborative efforts to strengthen Olive Ridley turtle conservation. The Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 2020, which mandates mechanised trawlers to fish at least five kilometres from the shore, was enforced more strictly from late January. Fishermen were educated on the dangers of ghost nets and urged to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) to prevent accidental turtle entanglement. Read more: Oil…