JORHAT, Oct 19 � Pedestrians on the footpath of Jorhat town while approaching the Bishturam Baruah hall here stop for a while under the sweet shades of the thick foliages of the tall trees overhead to get rid of the scorching heat of the sun. Only a few spots remain in the town during these days where there are some trees together to offer shades in the sunny mid-day hours.
As Jorhat was the last capital of Ahom kingdom, it was a planned town under the royal patronage. During the days of Swargadeo Gaurinath Singha, the capital of Ahom kingdom was shifted to Jorhat in 1794. Even during the Mayamora revolt the king and the noblemen built some roads and dug a number of tanks in and around the capital, such as, Rajmao Pukhuri (also called Borpukhuri), Buragohain Pukhuri, Bolia Gohain Pukhuri, Kotoki Pukhuri, Choladhora Pukhuri and Mitha Pukhuri.
Along either sides of the roads and the banks of the tanks, trees were planted to relieve the passers by during the hot summer days.
During the rule of British too, trees were planted in and around the town. There were lines of trees alongside the Club Road which were planted during the British era in Assam.
But during the last few decades the rate of cutting of old trees have reached such a high that there hardly remains a huge tree along the AT road in the town except the one at Baruah Chariali.
The growing township has unfailingly proved that the town is now only for men, motors and concretes. There is no room for the green plants. Sometimes, some NGOs and some committees come out with ambitious projects to make the town green. In several places some memorial parks were resolved to be established. But till date not a single park has been put up.
Turning Jorhat into �Neem Nagari� has also now become a far cry. But amidst such continuous negligence towards plantation of trees along the road some shopkeepers planted a few plants in front of their shops. The shopkeepers themselves took the responsibility to take care of these plants. Now these plants have grown up to 6 to 7 feet.
These friend of the plants, also have received the heart rending news that the AT Road inside the town is going to be pitched from one footpath to another. In that case, grown plants by the footpath in front of the shops would be cut to make the area pitched. One shopkeeper at Choladhara Tiniali told this correspondent that they had been taking care of the Krishnachura plant since four years. It is now almost as tall as a man. �But it will be no more as the PWD is going to pitch the road from footpath to footpath,� he said letting out a sigh.
