We discussed why leaf fall occurs and why it is not a problem in natural landscape.

Then, why such a big fuss about it in the cities?

Why it is a problem for us?

For most part of history, humans have led a nomadic lifestyle. Our ancestors used to gather fruits, tubers and hunt. When supply at one place used to reduce, they moved to other area.

When seeds thrown by them germinated and a new plant grew, they must have realized we can grow our own food. That is how agriculture began.

Now, humans had to settle at one place to take care of their fields. Also, now since they could grow their own food, there was no need to move in search of food.

Humans started residing at one place and that is how settlements began. And gradually they resulted in the cities we see today.

We saw that leaf fall is the natural process that has gone on for ages. When there was plenty of soil available for natural process to take place, it was never a problem.

Today, there are more people on the earth than they were any time in the history of the earth.

People need houses to live, roads to travel, footpaths to walk on. Eventually, as cities grew, the built infrastructure occupied the previously empty spaces.

With this infrastructure, soil surfaces reduce.

In our cities and towns there is no space (literally :-)) for this natural process to take place.

This is the natural landscape

Typical scene in the city

With less and less space available and with our changing perception of “cleanliness”, we are not comfortable with large heap of dry leaves in our premises.

And that is why, for us, dry leaves is problem, the waste. Something we should get rid of.

In our great parents’ time, I am sure there would never have been any discussion about dry leaves. There used to be a large pit at he back of the house, where all the kitchen waste and dry leaves used to be deposited. And that was all.

Nature used to do its work. Remember the circular system we discussed? Here it is again for your reference.

How can we solve this problem?

Actually, answer is not very complicated. All we need to do is create the same circular system that exists in nature.

Yes, it is a simple solution 😊

Of course, in the cities, we need to make changes to this system, a bit.

Don’t worry, I will show you how. We will discuss it in the next 3 sections.

Let’s discuss in the next artcile, why exactly burning of dry leaves is not advisable.