The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Tree-felling goes unabated

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 22, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Tree-felling goes unabated

Staff Reporter

CIVICSCENE Advantages of growing trees often forgotten

VISAKHAPATNAM: Raising avenue trees is a slow and difficult process. A lot of effort goes into planting saplings, protecting and nurturing it till it grows up. But a tree is simply cut off whenever it is in one's way. Needless to say, axing a fully-grown tree adds to the misery of citizens.

Advantages

The city went through a scorching summer. Trees provide the much-needed relief from heat and play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance. Thanks to the pressure on land---with buildings springing up on vacant lands---natural, fresh air has become a rare commodity.

A simple but effective procedure is followed to cut off the tree that is obstructing the view. First, the branches are cut off and as the tree starts withering away. It is further sliced down to the trunk. Then the trunk is felled as seen in the accompanying picture of a tree in MVP Colony, which has marks of being struck with an axe. Sometimes acid is poured on the trees to destroy them. Cutting the trees for firewood also cannot be ruled out.

This happens all the while and citizens inform officials about it over phone. The officials say that sometimes business establishments are felling trees to enhance view of their building. But the civic officials need evidence to pursue the case, which hardly comes forth. Felling the trees is said to be a non-bailable offence since the tree is the property of the Municipal Corporation. Besides, if any citizen complains, a case may also be booked under the Enviroment Act.

But due to lack of evidence, few cases are reported to the police. During the previous two years only two complaints were lodged with the police. This year another case has been reported to the Fifth Town police.

Unless people realise their social responsibility and become eco-friendly the practice (of felling trees) seems to continue unabated.

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