May 29, 2005

Along waterworks and canals, trees that once worked as natural filters for seepage, are being cut ruthlessly

There was a time when along the Bawne-Khipro Canal, in Sindh, an endless line of trees used to stretch into the horizon. Green with dense foliage, the trees used to offer a sight unlike any other.

The trees were planted under the Bawne-Khipro Canal scheme by irrigation engineers of the British Raj between 1918-1928. It was one of wonderful places of Sindh, which offered an environment, thriving with the avian wildlife on the embankments of Mithrao, Khipro, Jamrao and Nara Canals.

The endless chain of trees was the brainchild of Mr Bawne, an engineer who initiated the remodelling work of this historic canal. That is why it was re-baptized and named Bawne wah. Earlier, it was named after a village town perished long ago, during the first Hur Movement, of the 1890s. It is said that it was set alight by British Army because it was where Bachoo Badshah, a martyr of the upsurge, resided.

Today, Bawne wah’s major attraction is its tali trees. The trees are planted so meticulously that on both sides, they stand at a measured distance of 15 feet. The bunds were once covered with such long and scattered branches of the trees that one could not see beyond the tall green walls of whispering life. The tree line sometimes looked like a caravan of camels, walking slowly to the sea. Strict vigilance and tight supervision under the English officers and the then game warden Karimdad Khan Junejo, made the trees a living legend, which passed on one generation to another.

The reed jungle adjacent to the bunds played an important role for both wildlife and cattle farmers. It served as grazing ground for buffaloes and cows. But no herder would dare to drive his herds on the bund without official permission. The herders too were well aware of the environmental worth of the area. They did not harm any of the trees grown along the banks of the canals. However, they used to collect and pick up the eggs of woodpeckers and parrots from the holes of the trees.

Till the late 70s, the tallies of Mithrao Canal, Nara Canal, Khipro Canal and Jamarao Canal were protected, and if by chance any theft occurred, the people would show their concern and the trees were replanted then and there.

Since, the canal system in Sindh was already there, which followed a bit of remodelling, the colonial government introduced many species of trees — especially tallies and sareeh on the bunds, and pipal and banyan on the places of regulators.

The giant pipal and the mighty banyan would grace the courtyard of inspection bungalows too.

The thriving tallies and sareeh would serve the purpose of pumping stations, which were planted to suck out the seepage — just as the sem-nullas of modern development. These local and indigenous methods of draining out seepage and saving the bunds from breaches were the only sustainable methods used to protect the bunds. Thus there was no waste of money, no land utilization, and no environmental damage.

Apart from these benefits; a loving and cordial relationship between man and nature was there. A sense of seeing things in their natural perspective emerged. Tourism, bird-watching and an emulation of planting and increasing the number of different species of trees, could have been inculcated in the people of the area. Unfortunately, it could not happen.

Today, as things stand, with the passing years, the trees were taken to the task. They were considered an extra burden. Even their presence was a torture for irrigation officials. It took 20 years (1980-2000) to get rid of the chains of green-gold of four canals and several distributaries.

Tree cutting contracts were awarded in the name of filling the breeches during the monsoon. Tress were also chopped down during the bundi season, because in this season the erosions of canal bunds were often mended with yaks (hindrances woven with the branches of trees or plants). Once the pods or the branches of a tali tree were chopped or stripped, the stem or the trunk would always become a victim to be cut off. And in the darkness of the night, camel carts packed with timber would sink into the cities forever. The erection of protective bunds to control the floods in the canals too played havoc with the trees.

Remodelling also posed serious threats to the tree population of these canals. One such example is the cutting of tens and thousand trees from the bunds of Jamrao Canal during its remodelling in early 90s. Jamrao, which is still remembered by the old and mythological bunyan and pipal, is now without its friends, whose cool and incense filled shade would comfort the herds and flocks around. The tree-bearing banks sometimes used to erode and cause an irreparable loss to the organized tree population. Though of little comfort, the pipals of the Head Jamrao Regulator, have survived to see the 21st century.

Although Lord Bhudha accomplished his incarnation under such trees, the great caravans led by Humayun stopped to take a nap under trees such as these, the herds took their afternoon rest and the birds buried themselves in the dome of dark green leaves. Yet the great greedy axe continued to strike them down. This practice has today resulted in bald bunds, appeared suddenly on the canvas like painted walls.

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