Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Commissioner Badhrani Jayawardena said a special discussion, comprising of experts on trees in order to take expedited action regarding dangerous trees which are older than 30 to 35 years, in the Colombo city.

President’s Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayake has instructed her on this. Accordingly, a special discussion will be held on Monday October 9 and the Municipal Commissioner said a committee comprising of experts from the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, the Forest Conservator General as well as specialists on types of trees will join.

With the unfortunate accident that took place yesterday (6) on the Duplication Road close to the Liberty Roundabout in Kollupitiya, killing five persons, the Municipal Commissioner said that

attention has been focused on removing such dangerous trees from the Colombo city and that this discussion is one step towards that purpose. She also said that attention is being focused on getting assistant from the Air Force to cut and remove such trees. She further said that, yesterday (6) she held a discussion with the secretary to the ministry of Wildlife, Forest Resources Conservation and that she requested that a report be submitted regarding trees that are in danger of collapsing.

An accident took place yesterday (6) with an ancient banyan (nuga) tree on the Duplication Road, near the Liberty Roundabout, Kollupitiya falling on to a bus belonging to the Sri Lanka Transport Board and the impact of the tree had made the bus split in two.

Five persons from different areas of country who were in the bus, died on the spot. The Municipal Commissioner who said that two months ago, branches of this particular tree had been cut and removed and removing such dangerous trees and controlling them is carried out by the Colombo Municipality, also mentioned that a unit which works 24 hours of the day has been set up.

“When such dangerous trees are being removed, we get together with the fire brigade and do it. Even yesterday, after the accident all teams got together and worked as one. We cut branches of these trees which are on the road reserve and ‘balance’ them. If an accident happens while removing unprotected trees, we take immediate measures. When a tree nearly fell on to the road on Kannangara Mawatha, near the Vihara Maha Devi Park at about 4 pm day on Thursday(5) we cut down that tree and prevented an accident. We will take steps to inspect trees on Monday,” Jayawardena said.

(dailynews.lk)