Plan to protect trees

The City Corporation has decided to take up an action plan to protect the trees that contribute to the capital's green cover. A special task force setup by the local body will recommend root-care treatment and annual pruning of trees to protect them during the monsoon period when they are more prone to toppling. The task force was set up last week to identify and fell the trees that pose danger to life and property. The monsoon rain that lashed the city last week uprooted a sizeable number of the trees that have contributed to the city's green cover.

 

Apart from the avenue trees on the roadsides, some of the trees in public compounds also succumbed to the monsoon fury. On one single day, the Fire and Rescue Services received calls to remove over 100 fallen trees from various places in the city and suburbs. Task force member and chairman of the corporation's health standing committee G.R.Anil said the local body decide to cut down unsafe trees in Public places. "We have received a large number of complaints from the public regarding trees in danger of being uprooted. It may not be practical to fell all these trees in view of the impact on the environment. Our objective is to protect as many trees as possible. Only the most unstable ones will be axed", he said.

 

(The Hindu, 27.06.07)