Background

The green Vegetation provides one of the natural ways of cleansing the atmosphere by absorption of gaseous and by trapping of particulate pollutents through leaves. As per an estimate a tree, living for 50 odd years, would cleanse the air pollutents, that can be done otherwise at a cost of half a million rupees. Several environmentalists and the decision makers since long have been emphasising the need of Perrennial green envelops and a large scale afforestation around industrial areas and by the side of roadways. Since the enactment of the air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, the Central Board and the State Boards for the prevention and control of water and air pollution are urging/insisting upon the industries to provide green belts around industries. This is also often one of the Consent Conditions issued under the section 21 and section 26 of Air and water respectively.

NEED

Number of enquiries have started coming to Central Board from different government agencies and industries on the suitability and choice of plant species for the green belts in and around industries, industrial areas and also along the roadways of heavy vehicular traffic. It was therefore felt necessary to bring out certain guidelines on the establishment of the green belts.

PRECONDITIONS

Establishment of perrennial green belts in polluted areas seems to be simplistic solution to remedy a complex situation. Not enough is known about the actual capacity of plants to

* Present Address : Senior Scientific Officer-lll Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, CIDCO Bhawan, 5th Floor, South Wing, New Bombay 400 614.

Table 1 : Plant species suitable for plantation in dust-polluted areas

BOTANICAL Name of the Plant species	Dust Collection efficiency, g/m2
Croton, sp.	7.74
Mirabilis Jalapa	8.13
Thespesia	7.00
Populnea
(Tulip)
Tectone	5.35
grendis (Teak)
Shorea robuste	4.50
(Sal)
Terminalia	4.49
arjuna (Arjuna)
Polyathia	4.56
longifolia
(Ashoka)
Ficus religiosa	4.15
(Peepal)
Manifera indica	4.05
(Mango)
Lagerstromia	4.04
flosregeinal
(Jarul)
Bauhinia	3.90
Purpuria
(Kachnar)
Saraca indiaca	3.78
(Sita Ashoka)
Ficus	3.59
benghalensis
(Banyan)

remove pollutants under different conditions. It is necessary to emphasise here that the plants can function as efficient sinks of air pollutents only as long as they are healthy and metabolising at their optimum rate. An extraordinary care is to be taken in cultivating the plant

Table 2 : Plant species suitable for plantation in Industrial areas of gaseous pollution

S. N.	Botanical Name	Habit	AIR POLLUTION TOLERANCE INDEX
1.	Ficus glomerate	Evergreen Tree	32
2.	Pithecelobium dulce	-do-	28
3.	Polyethia longifolia	-do-	19
4.	Eucalyptus Sp.	-do-	15
5.	Leucaena leucocephala	-do-	14
6.	Albizzia lebbek	Deciduous Tree	62
7.	Casia fistula	-do-	54
8.	Phyllanthus distichus	-do-	46
9.	Phyllanthus emblica	-do-	38
10.	Anthocephalus cadamba	-do-	24
11.	Bourgainvillea spectabilis	Shrub	32
12.	Poinsettia Pulcherrima	-do-	25
13.	Duranta Plumieri	-do-	15
14.	Vinca rosea	Herb	37
15.	Ocimum besilicum	-do-	13
16.	Cynodon dactylon	-dc—	09