On 12 December last year, when Cyclone Vardah hit the coast of Chennai, its howling winds uprooted thousands of trees. For the city, it was a wake-up call. Chennai has the lowest green density among cities in India. It has a green cover of just 9.5 percent. In comparison, Delhi has a green cover of 20.20 percent.
“Already, we can feel the heat. This summer is going to be gruelling,” says Shobha Menon, founder of Nizhal, a volunteer group devoted to trees and their protection.
The disaster has galvanised the Chennai Corporation and environmentalists. . .
