Many avenue trees in Mysore are too old or diseased and pose a threat to life and property. Mysore City Corporation and the Forest Department are not being prompt in identifying and removing such trees.
But it appears that under the guise of removing old and diseased trees, even healthy trees are being removed. Just a couple of days ago, a beautiful Gul Mohar tree on Vivekananda Road was cut. The official who had come to fell the tree said that he had received a complaint from a house owner that the tree had a hollow and was likely to topple. Permission was given to chop the tree. The question is, just because a tree is hollow, is it likely to topple? There are hundreds of trees all over Mysore which have hollows and which have stood there for decades. According to experts, hollows are quite common in trees. In the present case, the hollow seems to have been caused by the unscientific pruning of a major branch (by some authority such as MCC or KEB) and does not seem to indicate any unhealthiness in the tree.
Another point which makes the cutting of the tree suspicious is the fact that the persons who had come to cut the tree showed us a receipt that they had paid Rs. 1000 for the tree. But firewood dealers tell us that the tree is worth at least Rs. 3000-4000.
Bhamy V Shenoy