Green Spaces

The 192-acre Rabindra Sarobar is a beautiful green oasis in the heart of Kolkata and a favourite of many old timers in the southern part of the city. But reckless urbanisation and callous maintenance is taking its toll, leaving many regular visitors deeply distraught.

Looking at urban spaces as ‘novel ecosystems’ – emerging ecologies that have no historical predecessors – can change how we think about afforestation and conservation efforts.

While governments have promised tree census many times, the real data is coming from citizen-led initiatives. What are our city folks upto? And will it make a difference?

Open green spaces in the heart of an urban sprawl provide the much needed lung space for its citizens. Most Indian cities, however, have a long way to go before they catch up with global cities on that count, finds Navya P K.