The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Walkers object to felling of trees

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Walkers object to felling of trees

Special Correspondent

Contractor says they got oral permission to axe six aged trees and four more for beautification

The idea is only to trim the trees, says engineer in charge of the park
FBV asks civic body to declare a green policy

Photo: C.V.Subrahmanyam

Under the axe: One among several huge trees, which was chopped off at Shivaji Park in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. . —

VISAKHAPATNAM: Morning walkers had a shock of their life when they found huge trees axed and a dozen workers busy on a tree-cutting spree in the lush green Shivaji Park here on Saturday.

After objections were raised by the members of Sagar Walkers' Association, the contractor engaged by the Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation stopped the work. A supervisor monitoring the work said that they got oral permission to axe six aged and overgrown trees and clear another four which fell flat due to heavy rains and squally winds that lashed the city last week.

He said the operation was being carried out to facilitate further beautification of the park by placing an aquarium, new playpens and planting ornamental flower saplings.

However, Vamsi Krishna, engineer in charge of the park denied axing the trees. “We know it is an offence. Hence, we only wanted to trim those trees which had overgrown and clear four trees which were uprooted due to winds,” he claimed.

“They have no business to cut down fully grown trees whatever maybe the reason. If they want any development, they should plan in such a way that the existing trees are not affected,” V. Viswanatham, a professor and a member of Sagar Walkers' Association, said.

The park spread over 16 acres was once a dumping yard. Surrounded by posh MVP Colony and Shivajipalem, the park was developed in 1999 following a hue and cry over dumping of garbage in a residential area.

Today, the park attracts a large number of tourists for its landscape, exotic flora and skating ring.

Reacting to the incident, convener of Forum for Better Visakha E.A.S. Sarma condemned the axing of fully grown trees and asked GVMC to declare a green policy. “Under the pretext of development, existing trees should not be cut,” he said, citing an instance how Visakhapatnam Port Chairman Ajeya Kallam immediately restrained a contractor from felling trees behind port stack yard near Chavulamadham sometime ago when he was told about it.

He said trees act as buffer against pollution and pointed out that the beauty of Vizag was its ecology and it should be protected by not allowing felling trees, hillocks, water bodies and drains. INTACH activist Rani Sarma said they had written several letters to GVMC not to encourage ornamental plantations and lawns on beach road and other areas and instead promote shade-giving trees.

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