The Vashi Concrete Jungle and Trees

The Vashi Concrete Jungle and Trees

© 2020 Ramaswami Ashok Kumar

1.    The Analogy of graded insulation for surge protection in Vashi.

We can best use the analogy of graded insulation in surge protection of electrical systems to explain the need for ecological succession, forests, plants and trees of diverse species in habitats, in particular Vashi which is a concrete jungle in which trees are also present while the ground is paved and paved and paved. Can you find soil in Vashi? It is rare- the life giver!

2.    Mangroves,Trees In Vashi

The mangroves similarly offer the first graded protection against cyclones and monsoons. After that you have all the plants in the gardens and trees on the road-sides. There are the drains as well which are covered on the roadsides(Roots of plants in the drains?). There is the giant sucking action of trees by transpiration and osmosis at 1000 atmospheres or 10^8(Ten raised to the 8^th power) N/m^2. Even in the midst of heavy rains the trees continue their giant sucking action throwing the water from the soil back to the skies. Thus the lesson to be learnt by the housing societies and all others concerned is that the trees are at the forefront of bearing the brunt of the shock force and bending moment input of the cyclones and the monsoons. The concrete jungle has the trees as a giant wind breaker and great minimizer of flooding. They fail first and moderate the surge waves hitting the buildings. It is especially important in Vashi which is below sea level and the bund is the savior! If the double bund overtops and floods enter Vashi at high tide that’s the end of the story. The mangroves and trees are crucial for survival in these days of extreme rains brought about by deforestation and damming. If some people were left to themselves they would have Aarey emptied of plants and grasses as well as destroyed the mangroves for killer sheds and widening of highways.  Incidentally that would have killed diversity and made the COVID19 or other pandemics or catastrophes to follow of proportions of pralaya(Or is it already past the tipping point?). Thus when we consider trimming, let alone hacking off of the trees, we should have these ecologically diverse elements and functions of nature in perspective to keep in place the roofs of protective sheds and other structures and preventing getting drowned.

References:

https://practicethevedas.blogspot.com/2020/06/now-reverdure-for-tender-loving-care.html

https://livingnormally.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-disaster-of-development-at-aarey.html