Adverse effects of the chopped tamarind tree

Much heat has generated after the 'Sunday Observer' highlighted the issue of a 12-year-old tamarind tree at Don Carolis-Jawatte Road chopped and removed by the local authorities a fortnight ago.

The tree was chopped by the local authorities on a complaint by an area resident. The complaint was that the tree posed a risk to them in the event of it falling on their residence.

They may be correct in their assessment. But what we said was in the public interest. The tree on a public thoroughfare provided shade to the area. It would have been prudent if the branches were pruned than the whole tree itself.

According to a Forest Department spokesman if a tree on a public thoroughfare was felled by the local authorities its timber has to be handed over to the Timber Corporation to be auctioned.

Thereafter, the proceeds from its sale have to be remitted to the Treasury after deducting the operational cost involved in felling the tree.