Bengaluru: For billboards' sake trees poisoned, branches cut
BBMP to act against those who put up illegal hoardings at Mahadevapura.
Bengaluru: BBMP has ultimately woken and decided to take action against the hoarding mafia, which is said to have poisoned and chopped branches of at least 30 Tespesia Papulenia (Behandi) trees, which were affecting visibility of hoardings on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) near Marathahalli.
On Friday, BBMP standing committee on horticulture, BBMP's advertisement wing, forest wing along with Bengaluru's tree doctor Vijay Nishanth carried out inspection on the ORR near Mahadevpura.
The inspection comes as a response to Nishanth and citizen's complaint that tree branches were being poisoned and chopped to ensure clear visibility of two hoardings.
Assistant Conservator of forests Thimmappa told Deccan Chronicle, "Seventeen trees have being poisoned and branches of 13 healthy trees have been chopped as they were affecting the visibility of two illegal hoardings - one bearing Apple iPhone and the other with Bhima Jewellers advertisement.
While we along with BBMP horticulture and advertisement department have immediately removed the Bhima jewellery flex, the other one is yet to be removed as high tension electric wires were passing near the hoarding, Thimmappa said.
Tree doctor Nishanth said, "Liquid bandage has been applied to tree which were poisoned with acid. Of the 17 trees that were poisoned only 3 or 4 can be saved."
An FIR has been filed against Nail Enterprises under Section 8 of Karnataka Preservation of Tree Act for putting up illegal hoarding and notice has been served on the house owner on whose building the other hoarding was placed.
How to save affected trees?
Wounds caused on root tissues due to poisoning will be removed. An artificial layer of orange oil is applied to prevent the spread of infection. Trees take about a month to recover, said Nishanth.
