Imkong Walling
Knee-jerk reaction has been a trait that has become synonymous with governance in Nagaland. As can be gauged from the myriad of ultimatums and deadlines that appear in the news, the state government tends to live by à la ‘brinkmanship’ rule, waiting it out, seldom bothering to or taking sua sponte initiative, before things gets out of hand. Delay, which would run into months or years and even decades, precedes actions on impulse, or under intimidation, and by which time, any effort, either long-term or provisional, becomes too little too late.
The tragic incident, last Wednesday, October 12, at the weekly bazaar in the Naga Shopping Arcade, Dimapur was one such example. It was known that eucalyptus trees are vulnerable to wind and rain, a sign of which was evident earlier this year when one of the trees fell on a car during a bout of rain and wind. But then, life went on as usual, as it claimed no human casualty, only damaging a car. The incident was forgotten with hardly any initiative taken to take stock of the danger involved. The consequence of the negligence was two precious lives lost.
It was time for the government authorities to act or, to use a more suitable term, react. Under piercing public glare, it had to appear relevant and present itself as the savior and thus, not surprisingly, a decision to knock down the trees was taken.
The intention was obvious, as human lives are more valuable than a grove of water-guzzling trees eating up high-value real estate. Fair enough.
However, what the district administration failed to account for was the purpose the eucalyptus trees serve and the non-existent risk management that allowed for the row of trees to go unattended.
Trees, like agricultural plantations, require regular monitoring to remain healthy. It was clear the trees were planted for a well-intended purpose. But, no collaborative step was taken by any of the government agencies, including the district administration, municipal body or the state government undertaking, which owns the property. The end result was a weak tree standing unbeknownst in the middle of a thriving market place.
If only the authorities had taken timely measures, the loss of lives and the removal of a lovely green zone, as directed by the district administration, would have been avoided.
Speaking of the directive from the Deputy Commissioner, it did not specify whether it is going to be selective felling or wiping out the entire row. Ideally, one would expect the authorities to have undertaken tree health assessment, before proceeding, besides drawing up a robust reforestation plan in the cleared area.
The writer is a Principal Correspondent at The Morung Express. Comments can be sent to imkongwalls@gmail.com
