Managing trees planted along road reservations

The main purpose of planting trees along road reservations is to provide shade for pedestrians while assuring an aesthetically pleasing environment. Those trees along road reservations also absorb fumes emitted from vehicles while enhancing the green cover at global level. Those tree belts also play a role of Bio Corridors connecting isolated forest patches in Urban Landscapes.

Road Reservations which extend to about 10 to 20 m on either side of roads are not protected in Sri Lanka in a professional manner though it is very common in other countries. Those professionals are called Arborists. In Sri Lanka however, that job is usually managed by labourers hired by the CEB or the Road Development Authorities. Their main focus is on removing branches that touch electricity power lines or removing branches obstructing road signs. However, the job of arborists is a kind of negotiation with Nature assuring the green cover in urban areas where the bio diversity has been severely damaged.

The pictures show the present status of roads in Mahaweli areas, where the canopy cover of trees planted about 30 years ago has been managed in a professional manner.

Road maintenance labourers should be trained under the guidance of qualified arborists. Professionals who maintain botanical gardens have this training skill. They can train the workers of the authorities such as the CEB, the RDA etc. to help prevent disasters.

Mahinda Panapitiya
Engineer who worked for Mahaweli Project in the 1990s