Broadly those in Favour have South East Facing Homes & those Complaining North Facing
This is intentionally a Provocative Headline but in all the exchanges that I saw in WhatsApp Groups I noticed this trend. To be fair the concerns of those objecting are genuine and they have very valid points. At the same time those in Favour have long been deprived of the much-needed Sunlight blocked due to years of neglect and lack of scientific Pruning. There is another set of people who came out in support of Hard Pruning due to the Dangerously leaning trees on to their properties.
During last MCD Elections ‘Save Our City Campaign’ in their Citizens Charter had demanded Rationalization of the Forest Protection Act with a Tree Master Plan with Guidelines for Plantation and Maintenance of Trees Suitable for diverse habitats within the city. Unlike a ‘One-Shoe-Fits-All’ Forest Act, city trees need regular pruning, for their healthy Growth and does not endanger Life or Property.
The operative word is regular pruning, that has been ignored over decades, the result is come Monsoon, dangerously leaning trees fall on Cars and Homes. The current Hard Pruning exercise is being undertaken after due process in all the blocks of GK-I, RWA’s had filed list of Dangerous Trees with Photographic evidence. GK-I Police Station got repeated complaints from irate tree loving residents only to be shown due permissions.
Happily, debates on WhatsApp remained cordial but some people running Parallel Associations filed complaints to somehow get the RWA into trouble not realizing the role of RWA was limited to overseeing the operations and to help Electricity Mains being switched off where the Power Lines were entangled with over grown trees.
Thankfully the operation in E-Block is completed but there is a lesson in it for us Citizens, planting a Tree is good but it should be ensured the Species & Location should be carefully chosen. Planting a tree is like that Child who brings Home a Cute Little Stray Puppy and then abandons it when the Puppy grows up to be not so Fancy Dog.
