Dry leaves collected within the roundabout maintained by BDA at Master Canteen Square. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, June 8: The extreme heat conditions here have not only taken a toll on the people but also the green cover. In a glaring example of callousness of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), plants at the Master Canteen Square have begun to wither.

With authorities not taking care to water the plants regularly, they are beginning to droop and wilt. One can spot heaps of dead branches piled inside the park. Plants in front of the state secretariat and the Assembly have also started wilting because of the lack of water. The plants covering medians at AG Square and Chandarsekharpur have also become victims of this indifference.

“The water tanker sprays water on the trees only once in a while. Though the roundabout near Master Canteen Square is a major attraction for visitors, the authorities are not bothered about watering the trees on a regular basis,” said Rabindra Sekhar Jena, a vendor near the railway station.

Sources in the BDA said just one water tanker with a capacity of around 2,000 litres has been deployed to water the plants in various road medians and other small parks.

The horticulture wing of the BDA looks after nearly 50 parks and open spaces in and around Bhubaneswar, Khurda and Jatni.

On the other hand, the Orissa Forest Development Corporation (OFDC), which is also extensively associated with plantation drive in the capital, provides nearly 25,000 litres of water for plants everyday. Sources in the OFDC said four water tankers have been deployed for this purpose and the trees and plants are provided with nearly 80 to 100 litres of water daily.

Experts said that the plants need more water during summer as the rate of transpiration is higher and the soil becomes dry.

“More water is needed for plants and trees during extreme heat conditions. Evening is the best time to provide additional water to plants in summer because it allows maximum absorption before the next day’s heat,” said a retired reader of Botany from Ravenshaw University, Ramakanta Parida.

Chief horticulturist of the BDA, Ashoka N. Dhar, said he would look into the matter.