Green Spaces in the Urban Environment: A case study of Varanasi City

Abstract

The green belts in urban area are considered to be an integral part of the urban landscape
lending beauty to the concrete of which the city is made. It gives fresh environment and
release of mental stress caused by the hectic life. Varanasi city is the centre of Indian tradition
religion, culture practices and rituals, rich in heritage and colours of India. So as to be
described as mini India representing all the colours of Indian diversity, a city having a sense
of its own, breathing and living in daily homage paid to the god and goddesses. The city as
old as the culture of the country itself, built centuries ago is now wanting more space to
breath and grow to come out of the old maze like narrow streets which has become its
identity, with crumbling buildings which still hold the mark of its beauty, buried under dust of
lack of maintenance it is asking for attention. Varanasi is a city in mess, with uneven
development, and unplanned expansion of unapproved colonies. The city which is very
significant as a religious and tourist centre, at present is in need of urban forestry which is
only about less than 5 % and which actually should be 20% for urban areas. The question
that arises is that in spite of its significant as one of the important cities in the north why have
the care or initiative not been taken by the State or central government. The paper highlights
the work done by the forest division to create green belts and plant them by social forestry
schemes to make the city ecologically balanced.