Ahmedabad BRTS snippets

If you have been dreading the thought of cycling or taking a walk along the BRTS corridor in the sweltering Ahmedabad heat, there may be some relief round the corner. A renewed landscaping plan will ensure that you get a continuous canopy along the 88-kmlong BRTS network for the first two phases. Not only this, BRTS landscaping will also see fragrant trees for the first time to make travelling along the stretch a pleasant experience. Initial surveys on people’s perception of BRTS revealed that many people had inquired about availability of proper shade along the footpath and cycle track. It was this that prompted Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL) to plan trees with large canopies to black sunlight. The flower and fruit bearing trees will be planted in alternate stretches.This is to ensure that most stretches are always flowering, inviting birds. Common trees like neem, bakul, copperpod, balam kheera gharmalo,and mango will line the arterial lanes. These trees will begin providing shade when they are mid-sized. Flowering plants like golden trumpet, pink trumpet tree, Hong Kong orchid, siris, gulmohar and kesuda will be planted alternatively with fruit bearing trees like goras amli, chikoo, rai jamun, badam, fanas, sitafal and saragavo.Trees like champa,saptaparni and chandni will be planted every 50m that can fill the air with fresh fragrance in mornings. The list reveals that evergreen trees have been preferred over deciduous ones to ensure shade for most time of the year. “Trees have been planted at a distance of 7m so that each side of the tree gets a cover of 3.5m. Each of the canopies intersect to cut down on sunlight. Besides, they have been chosen keeping in mind the extremely dusty and heat conditions of the city,” says a senior standing committee member of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). Bhadresh Gajjar .