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Forest Department starts topping trees

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

Forest Department staff chopping eucalyptus trees at Lawspet on Monday.

PUDUCHERRY: The Forest Department has taken up topping of nearly 110 Eucalyptus trees in Lawspet from Monday to prevent the trees from being uprooted during heavy winds and rains.

The tree conservation measure comes in the wake of complaints from residents that the trees were unsafe and posed a danger of causing damage to houses and life at the time of winds and rains, said officials of the department. “We have received around 10 complaints from residents in this locality asking us to uproot the trees. Instead of uprooting the trees, which provide good green cover to the area, we are topping the plants to protect the greenery in this area,” Agriculture Officer of the department Siva Shanmugam said.

Fear among residents had increased after a woman was killed in the locality as a tree fell on her during the rains three months ago. “We have started the topping works following the directions of the Conservator of Forests. We will be cutting the top portion of the trees at a height of 15 feet from the ground. This way, the weight of the trees will be reduced thereby preventing it from falling,” he pointed out.

Through topping, the 20-year-old trees would be conserved and at the same time it would help to prevent any damage to houses and public, he said. “The trees were planted during 1980’s on a barren land when there were no residential areas. With construction activities over the years, the trees have lost the support and many people have constructed houses close to the trees,” he added.

The works have been started after similar works on a Eucalyptus tree at the police quarters, Gorimedu emerged successful. “Six months ago, we had taken up topping of a tree at the police quarters after receiving similar complaints. We had topped it at a height of 12 feet from the ground and it started to grow again in a span of one month. At Lawspet, greenery will be established soon as new branches will grow in a month,” Mr. Shanmugam added.

Almost all the Eucalyptus trees at Lawspet had grown to a height of 35 feet and the topping works were expected to be completed in a week, officials added.

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