KOCHI: A deputy collector in Lakshadweep who triggered controversy and public protests in August for making prior permission mandatory to pluck coconuts from trees abutting public roads has been transferred.
An order by the Lakshadweep administration said Mukund Vallabh Joshi, the deputy collector of Androth and Kalpeni, would hold the charges of director (road transport) and director (Information and PR) of the UT. Kuldip Singh Thakur will replace him “with immediate effect”, the administration said.
Joshi had on August 28 mandated that residents or contractors must submit intimation at least 24 hours in advance to the station house officer (SHO) and assistant engineer (AE) (roads), LPWD, before plucking coconuts on trees abutting a public road.
Work could only proceed after official acknowledgement, said the order, issued in exercise of powers under Section 152 of the BNSS, 2023 (public nuisance-conditional orders) and cited as a measure aimed at preventing danger to the public and ensuring the safety of roadside traffic.
It also called for compliance with stringent safety guidelines, including minimum safety cordon of 10m around the trees and carrying out plucking only outside peak traffic/school timings.
The directive, termed “insane” by the residents, had sparked controversy and protests in Androth and Kalpeni. Representatives of the residents are now approaching the new official for the withdrawal of the order.
“So far, not a single person has died in the island from falling coconuts. Now, many owners won’t bother to pluck coconuts regularly, and this will pose risk to motorists and pedestrians,” said Lakshadweep DCC president M I Attakoya.