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by V. L. Gunasekera

After many years of being out of bounds to foot and vehicular traffic, I had the opportunity of travelling down Bullers Road recently.

To say that it took my breath away is - an understatement. Years and years of being closed to motor traffic and the ordinary citizens had made that stretch of road, one of the most beautiful I had ever had the pleasure of seeing, in my whole life!

It is what a dream stretch of road would have looked like. Nowhere else had one ever seen such tall magnificent trees spreading their branches to the sky and getting entangled with each other, in the rush.

Such vegetation abound on either side! The greenery, the shrubs and bushes abundant. It is a veritable Paradise.

While I was passing through I kept thinking to myself, why isn't the rest of Colombo like this? At one point in time in the recent past we had streets and places like this. But all that had to make way for urbanisation and development, to take place.

That does not mean that such things should be done away with. It just means that we need better Urban Planning, with much more emphasis on greenery and the environment, than we are currently in the process of doing.

For instance, one sees vast highways being built in Colombo. But where is there room for planting of trees on the side walks, which naturally and ungrudgingly serves mankind, in providing him shelter, fresh air and fruits. How much we enjoy walking under a shady canopy of trees! But how many of us actually think of planting a tree on the roadside or for the sheer pleasure of watching a tree grow. With this thought in mind, I took it upon myself, to plant a sapling of a mango tree, at the entrance to our house.

Some Commercial Companies have taken the initiative of sponsoring and maintaining the Roundabouts. This provides those Companies with adverting their products and a source of revenue to the Local government, as well. Such projects should be given the maximum encouragements. Perhaps Companies can be encouraged to take part in making their City greener, and free publicity given to their Organisation in the process, too. After all there are many of us who make it a point to patronise such places, which, are civic conscience and eco friendly.

But, there are also some other Companies, which just use these sites to advertise their goods for a considerable period of time, paying scant attention to the fact that a little effort on their part would help maintain the Roundabout's vegetation. For instance, the Lipton Circus Roundabout, where most picketing campaigns take place and many commercial oranisations operate thereabout, is badly in need of a clean up and maintenance campaign from some good-hearted individual or group of persons.

One is reminded of the fact that greenery and trees in fact help to reduce the daily stress and tensions that come with the fast pace lives that we lead. Imagine what a relief it is, if one lives in an environment, where one can look out of ones window and see some trees, or birds flitting across, on an exceptionally stressful day!

Why do our people go to places like Nuwara Eliya for their holidays? It cannot be because of the cold climate only? No, it is the paradisiacal gardens, which are abundant there, that attract many city- dwellers to that city.

As opposed to that, what we see in Colombo is a concrete jungle. These buildings reflect light, with very little ventilation, if at all, and hot and humid conditions added to that as well. None of these Architects have thought of leaving some space in and around the premises for some trees or bushes to be grown.

Gardens, add to the beauty and character of a place and do not take anything away from it.

One gets tired of comparisons, but has to only look as far as Singapore or Japan, to see that even with the tiny little space they possess, they have used ingenious methods to plant as many trees as possible, using up every inch of space.

Even the balcony spaces, in Japanese appartments are used for the purpose of growing miniature gardens.

We the citizens of Colombo would whole-heartedly join in an endeavour to keep the city of Colombo green and would be glad to do so, if such initiatives were to be taken. If one were to leave ones legacy behind, actions speak louder than words and what better way to do so, than in planting a tree, for us, and the younger generations of this country.

Our country, with its fertile soil, and warm climate is a paradise for trees, birds and humans to live together.

You only have to walk down Bullers Road, to witness this and for your breath to be taken away!!

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