Green lovers save tree

Green lovers save tree
Asked to prune two branches, BBMP workers were trying to hack down six of them
Deepthi.MR @timesgroup.com


Residents of Basaveshwaranagar on Wednesday saved a 70-year-old tree in their locality from being reduced to trunk by some workers sent by the forest department of BBMP. It is suspected that the workers wanted to make a few extra bucks by selling the wood, as the authorities had given permission to prune only two branches.
Vivek Bhatt, who was among the residents who protested, said, “We saw the workers cutting down branches of a tree. We objected to the move when we realised that they were planning to cut six branches in places of two permitted by the authorities. An argument followed. Finally, the workers returned. If four more branches had been cut, tree would have been reduced to just the trunk,” Bhatt said.
Shyam Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forests, said, “We had granted permission to cut two branches of the tree. We will take action against the workers soon.”