NILGIRIS: After a camphor tree fell on the road at Gandhipettai near Ooty, residents of the locality staged a road blockade on Tuesday morning, demanding that the Ketti panchayat officials remove dangerous trees to ensure the safety of motorists and public.
Due to the protest, vehicular movement on the Ooty-Manjoor road was affected for nearly two hours. The tree fell in the middle of the road following winds that swept across Ooty town on Tuesday morning. There was no major accident as the tree fell around 6 am, when there was little vehicular movement. However, a parked car was damaged in the incident.
Since the camphor tree was very tall, a portion of it fell on the roof of a house. The occupants came out of the house and staged a sit-in protest, seeking compensation for the damage to the house.
"We have been demanding that the panchayat officials remove weak trees well before the monsoon season. However, the trees were not removed and the officials showed a lethargic attitude towards our safety. Since the roof was partially damaged and the occupants of the house were safe, it is the duty of the panchayat officials to provide compensation," a resident said.
Following the information, Fire and Rescue Services personnel visited the spot and removed the tree. An official of the Fire and Rescue Services told TNIE that since the tree was about to fall on the house, they could not cut it as doing so could cause it to fall on the house and damage it.
"We lifted the tree using a crane and cut it without causing any damage to the house. We cleared the tree, and vehicular movement resumed around 9 am," the official said.
Ketti panchayat officials visited the spot and held discussions with the protesters. The officials assured them that the issue would be taken up with the RDO, who would order a survey of weak trees, following which further action would be taken.Later, the protest was called off.
