Deccan Chronicle 13.08.2013
Unwanted branches to face axe
Chennai: The Chennai corporation has intensified its tree removal duties in response to DC’s report about a senior citizen grievously injured when a dead tree crashed on him at Perambur.
A
press release from Ripon Buildings, the city’s civic headquarters, on
Monday asked people to report to the corporation’s complaint cell if
they noticed dead trees with obstructive branches.
People can call
1913 to report about dead trees or branches requiring pruning. Trees
that hinder streetlights and pose a danger to motorists should also be
notified, the release said.
Citizens can also report to the
Mayor’s office (25619300) or the commissioner’s office (25619200)
regarding such problems and their corresponding zonal offices, the
release added.
DC had carried a report on a person,
Chelakarai Rama Venkatadri, 62, and his wife Meenakshi, who, along with
another elderly couple, had been knocked down when they hit dead avenue
trees that had not been removed from the road.
Corporation
sources said an IAS officer had formed a core team that would help
prevent such mishaps and framed a monsoon guideline for field officials
pertaining to trees on the road.
“This is a welcome move, with
the corporation stressing on public participation,” said P. K.
Ramprabhu, an IT employee. “It could prove fruitful if the
corporation responds quickly so that such accidents are prevented in the
monsoon.”
“I didn’t know that people could contact the mayor’s or
the commissioner’s office directly to make a complaint,” said K.
Elango, a college student. “I will utilise the facility to clean up the
city.”
Techie, friend save tree in Mylapore
Pramila Krishnan | DC
Chennai: An
IT professional and his Kollywood friend have saved a wayside tree
from being chopped down by a resident at RK Nagar in Mylapore by
complaining to the police and calling the Chennai corporation helpline
(1913). Their intervention halted the axing halfway on Sunday.
Speaking to DC,
IT pro Ashok Rajendran, 30, said his friend Marichami, 35, an assistant
director in movies, called him for help when a RK Nagar resident named
Gajendran turned abusive on being questioned why he was having a big
pavement tree chopped.
The man told Marichami to mind his
business, saying the tree was being removed as it was full of insects
that invariably invaded his adjoining house.
“When my friend told
the man it was illegal to chop down a tree without official sanction,
he turned abusive and instructed his workers to go ahead with the
chopping. Marichami wanted to save the tree and phoned me”, said
Rajendran, explaining the events leading to their complaint.
He said the workers engaged for chopping the tree fled when the police arrived.
“We
called Gajendran for questioning. He said he wanted to chop down the
tree as insects swarmed his house in the evenings. We have registered a
complaint and will take appropriate action”, said an officer at
Abhiramapuram police station.
Corporation’s overseer of parks,
T. M. Murugan, said he had reported the RK Nagar incident to his
higher-ups. “I have filed eight complaints in the last few months
regarding illegal tree-cutting in residential areas. Absence of
stringent action against the wrongdoers has been a major lacuna”, he
lamented.