GUWAHATI: Workers from the Public Works Department (PWD) have begun planting saplings in the narrow strip of road along MG Road, starting from Lachit Ghat near Machkhowa. The process involves breaking through the existing concrete road topping with electric drilling machines to carve out small planting spots, then placing young trees into the exposed compacted soil under the PWD road beneath.
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On the morning of Friday, June 19, a crew was seen using a generator-powered concrete jackhammer to bore through the hardened surface bordering the road's white lane marking, right beside the iron railing that separates the carriageway from the footpath.
Several saplings, slender young trees that look like citrus or similar fruit-bearing varieties, have already taken root in the freshly dug patches, packed into the narrow gap between the road and the curb. A little further down, more saplings still in nursery bags are waiting to be planted, including what appear to be young mango trees.
A local vendor in the area said the saplings had been planted three to four days earlier and that the work was still going on. She wasn't sure why they were being placed in such a tight roadside strip instead of a more open spot.
Workers on site confirmed the drive is being carried out by the PWD.
Most horticulturists would probably raise a few concerns here. The planting strip is only a foot or two wide, so the roots barely have any room to spread out. That kind of restriction stunts growth and can leave the tree unstable as it gets taller. Drilling through concrete to make a small pit also doesn't really replace proper topsoil, since what's under most urban road surfaces is usually compacted rubble and debris rather than fertile ground.
On top of that, the saplings have to deal with heat radiating off the asphalt and constant exposure to vehicle exhaust, both of which put real stress on young trees in their first couple of years.
So the bigger question is do these saplings even have any chance of surviving in the first place.
No tree guards were visible anywhere along the stretch, which means the saplings are exposed to traffic, pedestrians, and any future roadwork.
And if mango trees are genuinely part of this drive, that's an even bigger concern, since mature mango trees need a lot more canopy and root space than a narrow median can ever offer.
The usual recommendation for roadside greening is wider pits with proper soil, tree guards, species with compact roots that can handle pollution, and a watering routine while the trees establish themselves.
None of that seems to be in place here, which suggests the drive, however well-meaning, is more about hitting a planting number than actually keeping these trees alive long term.
GPlus tried to contact PWD officials to know more about the matter but received no response till the time of filing this report.