3 years after fatal school tree collapse, UT yet to act

It seems that the UT Administration and Municipal Corporation authorities have failed to learn any lesson from past tragedies as no significant steps have been taken to remove dead trees from city roads.

A recent survey conducted by a Dehradun-based institute reveals that around 1,475 trees in the city are visibly hollow, dead or dry. The report has been submitted to the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh.

It states that 375 trees have been identified as dead and dry, while 1,100 have been found to be hollow. Dead trees are present across almost all sectors of the city. The highest number has been reported in Sector 2, where 46 dead trees were identified. Other sectors with a notable count include the Industrial Area (21), Ramdarbar (17), Sector 3 (12), Sector 7 (10) and Sector 23 (20). Eight dead trees have been reported in Sector 56.

Residents say dead trees are not only seen along the roads but also inside educational and other institutions where large numbers of people visit daily.

RK Garg, a social activist, said the authorities must act swiftly to ensure that no untoward incident occured again.

Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairman of the Chandigarh Federation of Sectors Welfare Association Chandigarh (FOSWAC), said the Punjab and Haryana High Court had held the administration responsible for the 2022 school tree-collapse tragedy, which left a student dead and another severely injured, while observing that scientific methods were not adopted to ascertain the health of the heritage tree. The court had directed the administration to pay Rs 1 crore compensation to the mother of the girl who died and Rs 50 lakh to the child who lost a limb when the tree fell on students and staff.

He said while certain steps were taken after the incident, nothing had been done since to remove all dead trees.

When contacted, CB Ojha, Chief Engineer of the Administration and Municipal Corporation, said a detailed plan for the removal of dead trees had been prepared. A survey had been completed and, based on the report, all dead trees would be removed, he said.

Residents say in recent months, particularly during the monsoon, the city witnessed several incidents of dead trees falling and causing damage on the roads.

Garg said no single authority was specifically tasked with monitoring the health of old trees, and added that coordinated efforts were needed to address the challenge.