THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even before the arrival of the monsoon, the capital city has started experiencing rain-related calamities, exposing how under-prepared the corporation and the other departments are. More than 100 tree-related mishaps were reported in the capital after the recent downpour, posing a threat to the life and property of the citizens and causing widespread power outages. A lack of specific guidelines and accountability is making such disasters a frequent affair.
PWD, local body, social forestry or other related departments are not ready to take responsibility for the pruning and management of urban green cover under their jurisdiction.
The Meteorological Department predicts more heavy showers this summer accompanied by thunderstorms, but the corporation is yet to come up with an action plan to counter rain-related calamities. Though a tree committee exists under the corporation, it has been inactive for a long time. The applications for the axing of trees are not being properly screened either. Environmental activists are actively demanding the reconstitution of the committee now.
An official of the Fire and Rescue Services said that nobody is carrying out the timely maintenance of the trees. “Between 2019 and 20, we had submitted a report to the district collector regarding the location of the tree which required urgent pruning. But no action was taken,” said the official.
With rain threat looming large, the civic body has started serving notices to PWD to manage trees under its jurisdiction. “A majority of the trees come under the PWD. We have served them with notice,” said an official of the corporation.
Environmental activist Sridhar Radhakrishnan pointed out the lack of a management system for taking care of trees. “The responsibility of tree management should be assigned to the Social Forestry Department at this point,” said Sridhar.
The civic body is planning to hold a special council to finalise the action plan for combating rain-related disasters. “We were not anticipating such heavy summer showers. We are planning to set up a helpline to attend to rain-related calamities,” said an official.