Tragedy awakens councillors to check Colombo’s trees
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has sprung into action and is chopping off branches and removing trees as more complaints have been received by residents and state and private offices.
This follows the tragic incident where a tree on the side of Duplication Road crashed into an SLTB bus, killing five passengers and injuring 17.
A CMC senior official said they were currently pruning and removing tree branches, which could pose a danger to people, and were also devising mid - and short-term actions.
A. D. S Rohana, the Deputy Municipal Commissioner (engineering services), told the Sunday Times that they have already identified over 300 trees and have requested the support of an expert from the Department of National Botanical Gardens to inspect them.
He said they were planning to train officials and workers, create a team to tend to trees, and also appoint an arborist.
“We do not have an arborist; therefore, we are planning to appoint an official and set up a team to maintain trees.”
He said the government also hopes to come up with a national policy to look into maintaining trees and managing greenery in urban and suburban areas. The decision was taken following a meeting held at the Disaster Management Centre.
He added that a committee has been appointed to avert accidents caused by falling trees.
Meanwhile, Peradeniya Botanical Garden's Director General C.P. Jayaweera said that government institutes from time to time consult them about planting trees, maintenance, and removal of trees.
She said, following CMC's request for the services of an expert to inspect and give them advice, she had named Sumal Gamage, who heads the arboretum at the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.
Mr. Gamage, who will be travelling to Colombo, said soil conditions and the status of the tree, including decay, cavities in the trunk, the depth of the roots, and whether the growth of the tree has been impeded or damaged due to the construction of buildings and roads, contribute to trees falling.
Mr. Gamage said there were ways and means to reduce the risk of trees falling other than resorting to cutting down trees and hacking away branches.
“We can balance the tree, improve the conditions of the tree, provide support for the tree, reduce the tree, and prevent the tree from falling,” he said. Meanwhile, with heavy rains and winds causing some branches to fall, the CMC has been receiving complaints to remove trees and branches leaning towards roads, homes, and other buildings.
A former member of CMC, Pradeep Jayewardene, told the Sunday Times that the council needs to set up a tree management system that includes risk management.
He said there are trees that have a history spanning over 100 years, and these iconic trees need to be preserved. They are also a tourist attraction.
Dr. Lahiru Wijedasa, a former senior arborist at the Singapore Botanical Garden, said authorities should not cut down branches or prune older trees without inspecting the conditions of the tree and its surroundings.