GMC to Relocate 29 Trees, Fell 44 Unsafe Ones for Road Widening
The report found that the damaged trees are unsuitable for transplantation because of their poor chances of survival
VIJAYAWADA: The Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) will relocate 29 healthy avenue trees and remove 44 severely damaged ones affected by the ongoing road-widening works between Hanumayya Company and Brindavan Gardens Centre, based on a scientific assessment by experts from Acharya Nagarjuna University.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, municipal commissioner K. Mayur Ashok said the civic body is implementing the decision while giving equal priority to infrastructure development and environmental conservation.
He said experts from the university's departments of Botany and Microbiology conducted a detailed inspection of all 73 avenue trees along the proposed road expansion stretch.
According to their report, 44 trees have been extensively damaged by termites and wood-boring pests, severely weakening their structural stability and making them vulnerable to collapse during strong winds and adverse weather. Some trees have already fallen, posing a risk to public safety.
The report found that the damaged trees are unsuitable for transplantation because of their poor chances of survival. The GMC will therefore remove them in accordance with the prescribed rules.
The remaining 29 trees have healthy root systems, strong trunks and sufficient biological viability, making them suitable for transplantation. They will be scientifically relocated under the supervision of experts to suitable locations within the Guntur Municipal Corporation limits and other appropriate sites.
Mayur Ashok said the GMC has already planted more than 7,000 saplings across the city and geo-tagged them for monitoring and maintenance.
He said all decisions on the affected trees are being implemented strictly on the basis of the university's scientific recommendations to ensure public safety while protecting the city's green cover.