Chandigarh environmentalists urge administration to halt practice of putting lights and using nails on trees

They said that trees have hundreds of nails are hammered on them, along with many lights and strong LEDs of 500 watts and above which are hung over the trees.

“It is not just dangerous for the trees but it is cold-blooded murder of the birds and small insects that the tree houses. It is against the eco system. Sparrows are almost extinct and the squirrels and parrots will go extinct too,” said Paveela Bali, an environmentalist.

She added, “According the greening Chandigarh action plan of 2009-10, strict action will be taken against those putting lights and nails on the trees. However, no action is taken. It’s happening all over Chandigarh.”

Charu Gupta, another environmentalist said , “If this goes on unchecked, every shop keeper will remove a tree to make space for his wares. Every petrol pump owner, beer bar and dhaba owner will use trees for their advertising.The citizens have to fight tooth and claw to save trees now? Who are the enemy, the outsiders? The timber merchant? Or the insensitive officers or the blind vigilante of the MC,” she said.

Gupta added, “They should be doing everything in their power to save our 40-year-old green cover and not allow ruthless assaults on trees. Nails for advertisements, lights for advertisements, repeated cable laying ,paving, leaf burning and many other such activities must be checked.”

Jitesh Malik, landscape architect said , “As a practicing landscape architect and visiting professor at Chandigarh College of Architecture, one is always quoting the examples of early planners; Le corbusier and MS Randhawa, for the wonderful work done in planning and executing the green cover for the city. Not only has the tree-cover given the city its prestigious image, the aesthetic experiences and unspoken benifits are for the generations to cherish.”