HT Readers’ Take | Official apathy root cause of Carmel tree collapse tragedy
Residents feel the callous attitude of Chandigarh administration officials and the cumbersome process behind removing a dead tree are to be blamed for the tree collapse incident at one of the most reputed schools in the tricity -- Carmel Convent. They add that officials must learn a lesson and take preventive measures to avoid such incidents in future
Don’t wait for tragedy to happen
It took the death of student from a reputed school for the administration to finally wake up from its slumber and order a safety audit of trees. Though the exercise may bring some positive results, this should have been done before such a tragedy befell.
Deepak Kumar, Panchkula
Cumbersome process
The procedure to get permission to cut termite-infested trees is cumbersome and lengthy with department passing the buck on to each other. The authorities must have relook at its own functioning. Once a tree is declared a heritage tree, the school cannot be blamed.
Chander Vij, via email
Don’t let trees become a curse
Along with waterlogging, the monsoon also brings with it the risk of tree collapse due to strong wind and incessant rain. Such incidents, unfortunately, have been increasing day by day. To prevent trees, which are a boon of nature, from becoming a curse, authorities must take some steps, such as timely pruning, termite treatment etc. Old trees must be chopped and new ones planted in its place
Rahul Khokhar, via email
Admn must take tree management seriously
Tree age is an important factor in tree management. Every tree has an inherent life span. Longevity of the tree must be evaluated. Forest department must conduct periodic audit/check trees, especially large, old ones. These are essential to avoid incidents like the one in Carmel Convent. At least two inspections per year should be made, one in the summer when the leaves are intact and one in winter. Most accidents are caused by improper tree care, bad site selection, improper planting or accidental damage.
Vineet Gandhi, Chandigarh
Protect heritage, but also lives
Protecting heritage is important, but more important is to protect lives. Every tragedy teaches us to take steps to avoid another tragedy. Trees, especially at educational institutions, need proper upkeep. The administration must reinforce old heritage trees with strong support and cordon off the area around it. A survey must be conducted to assess if any heritage trees are likely to pose a risk to human life so that these can be given a respectful burial. Besides, regular pruning is required so that these old trees don’t gain more weight and become bulky and fall.
Capt Amar Jeet, Kharar
Simplify process of removing dead trees
The process of removing dead trees must be simplified. UT officials are giving misleading statements. There are several termite-eaten trees around the city that have not been removed for long. Had the officials acted responsibly, a previous life could have been saved. For every old tree removed, a new one must be planted.
Opinder Kaur Sekhon, Chandigarh
Install caution signboards
It is unfortunate that a life was lost and several other young children were left traumatised due to a tree collapse at Carmel Convent. The UT administration, municipal corporation and forest authorities should carry out joint inspection of all old trees before monsoon and uproot trees that pose a risk to human life and safety, Further, signboards for caution should be affixed near the affected trees to forewarn the public at large.
Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali
Top brass should be held responsible
A day after the Carmel Convent School tree collapse incident, another incident occurred wherein a tree collapsed on the premises of a government school in Manimajra, damaging its wall. It is not for the first time that back-to-back accidents have struck the city and it all comes down to the negligence of authorities. Normally, the authorities, in such unfortunate incidents, make enquiry announcements, give compensation, transfer/suspend some officials, book the contractor and all is forgotten. However, a deeper policy-based change is required at the top brass needs to be held responsible to bring about the required change.
SK Khosla, Chandigarh
Zone-wise management
To help with better management, the administration should consider dividing the district schools in certain fixed zones and appoint an official in-charge, who, along with their team, should be responsible for carrying out monthly inspections and safety audits. A WhatsApp group for students to raise their concerns directly with the authorities could also go a long way in changing the current set-up for the better.
Sanyam Agrawal, Chandigarh
No system in place
An innocent life was recently snatched away by a heritage tree in a city school. The city has an expansive green cover but there is hardly any system in place to take care of the trees which have been accorded heritage status. These trees externally may look strong and healthy but generally termites and other natural weathering activities under the soil have made many such trees vulnerable. The administration needs to carry out a survey across the city to identify all heritage trees and place a warning board regarding the age and vulnerability of such trees.
Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh
Collective responsibility
The rules for safety audits of heritage trees do exist, but they have not stopped the mishap from happening. A simple way to fix the same is to constitute a committee of officials for identification, approval and cutting of dead trees. All departments or institutions are parts of the government, so they cannot escape responsibility claiming to have done their job.
Anil Uberoi, Mohali
Make inspections a routine practice
In the wake of the tree collapse at Carmel Convent, the best the UT administration, whose department was protecting the ‘heritage tree’, could do was order an inspection of all trees, especially in schools. That, however, is something that should have been made a routine exercise much earlier. Declaring a tree as heritage should not absolve the administration of its responsibility towards the safety of people and there is also a need for a discussion to review the policy on heritage trees.
Sanjay Chopra, Mohali
MC, private players need to come together
Had the administration been proactive and an actual audit been carried, the tragedy at Carmel Convent could have been avoided. The incident must be treated as a wake-up call and the civic body must survey the age and condition of the trees across the city. Also, any institute that has any such tree in its boundaries must take responsible steps in pruning them and also check for infestation.
Anju Mohan, Panchkula
A stitch in time saves nine
The Carmel Convent tragedy has shaken each one of us. At the same time, it is evident that the civic body and school administration are passing the buck onto the other. Ultimately, it is the people who have suffered an irreparable loss. The institutes must take timely steps towards pruning overgrown trees and the administration should also conduct time safety audits so that these incidents are repeated.
Garv Bhupesh, Panchkula
Timely pruning a must
The civic body’s horticulture department nonchalantly prunes branches on only one side of the trees so they do not interfere with the electricity wires overhead. This has led to trees becoming lopsided due to weight and thus increasing the possibility of them uprooting. One of the major factors which leads to the trees collapsing is termite infestation, treatment for which should be ensured at the earliest. The administration should not wait for another incident to happen to take further action. Chandigarh has always been known for its greenery and pruning of trees should be routinely maintained so as to not throw the entire reputation of the city into question.
Shaurya Bansal. via email
Trees need proper care
The city’s trees are its lifeline, but their upkeep is the duty of the local administration, along with everyone living/working here. All city residents should share the responsibility to safeguard the trees and whenever they find any dead tree/trunk, they should inform the horticulture department. The administration has already circulated a 24×7 complaint number (0172-2787200) for seeking help and that is a step in the right direction.
Avinash Mehta, Chandigarh
Helpline, portal for plaints
It is the duty of the horticulture department to take care of the trees in the city. Regular checking and timely action to maintain trees is important. The administration should also create an online portal and release helpline numbers through which residents can alert the authorities about ailing trees. Maintaining the green cover of the city includes taking proper care of the trees.
Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali
Administrative callousness exposed
Though the dead trees had already been identified, their removal was delayed just because bureaucrats were delaying the required approvals to cut the trees. They blamed the school for not alerting them on time, a claim that was rubbished by the school. To add to it, the very next day, another tree collapse was reported from the Manimajra. All this has only exposed the callous attitude of the school.
SC Luthra, Chandigarh
Regular termite treatment
The heart-wrenching incident at Carmel Convent should serve as a wake-up call for authorities. As a student, I will always be scared of venturing near trees during lunch break at school. Authorities must carry out regular termite treatments for infested trees and also maintain the healthy trees. Also, all dead and decaying trees must be immediately removed so that these don’t pose a threat to people’s lives.
Puranjay Chawla, Chandigarh
Authorities failed miserably
As a mother of two schoolchildren, the Carmel Convent incident has left me shocked beyond words. The hazard posed by old, decaying and dead trees has been brought to light earlier too when similar incidents claimed lives in the past but authorities failed to take appropriate action.
Shruti K Chawla, Chandigarh
School can’t brush off its responsibility
Had the authorities taken the requisite steps for the upkeep of the heritage tree at Carmel Convent, the unfortunate incident could have been prevented. The school also cannot brush off its responsibility. The least it could have done was to prevent students from assembling near a tree which may have given way. Schools should also consider arranging a dining area, or at least let students have lunch inside the classrooms. The administration must also take steps such as treating termite-infested trees, removing paver blocks from around the trees etc.
Kidar Nath Sharma, Chandigarh
Soil conservation, pest treatment to save trees
The sad incident at Carmel Convent has raised questions on the UT administration’s handling of the situation, but have failed at protecting the city residents as well as its heritage. There is an immediate need to do soil conversation for the city trees. The grass cover should be increased in the city to prevent erosion. Termite and insect treatment is also required for the city trees annually. This will not only ensure the safety of the environment, but also the city’s residents. Chandigarh turning into a concrete jungle can only be saved if the trees remain safe.
Sunny Dhaliwal, Chandigarh
Need to decentralise decision-making power
The heritage status accorded to trees has kept the UT administration from cutting the tree and their branches despite them posing a threat to the public. There should be a proper safety audit of all trees and prune them from.time to time. The decision power should be decentralised after proper audit by the team members .undue wait i.e red tapism from higher authority is basic problem not only in forest department rather all the department and main reason of slow economy and corruption in india .that should be distributed properly among the officer so that they can do their work timely .
Avinash Goyal, via email
Heritage not above life
Heritage should not be put above life. People should also be prompt in reporting the matter to the authorities concerned whenever there is any apprehension of a tree collapse. Such tragedies are caused due to human negligence.
Raghunath Chhabra, Chandigarh
Make taking down dead trees easier
The UT administration ordered a magisterial probe and sought a report, while secretary for social welfare Nitika Pawar issued directions to Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights for a safety audit following the Carmel tragedy, but these steps are not enough. The Union should mull changing the laws for cutting of dead trees.
Usha Verma, Chandigarh
Reader of the week
Tags not sufficient, heritage trees need care
Just placing a heritage tag over a tree is not sufficient. Whether the tree is located on private property or public, the Chandigarh administration is responsible for its upkeep. The forest and horticulture departments need to work in tandem to care for such trees. The departments should carry out timely audits of the trees. Also, the height of trees must be fixed to ensure that its trunk can bear the weight. The area around heritage trees must be fenced for safety.
Ginni Bhardwaj, via email
Expert take:
Accountability fixed
The audit of trees in schools and heritage trees has been done. Necessary action, like pruning and cutting of trees, is being taken. The accountability for any such incident will be fixed so that it is not repeated in future.
Dharam Pal, UT adviser
Care, audit of trees
Nature is very dynamic and it is impossible to predict such incidents. But proper care and close observation of morphological changes in trees can be helpful in avoiding such untoward incidents.
Debendra Dalai, chief conservator of forests, Chandigarh
Deadly delay
If the school had informed authorities about the tree, it is completely the administration’s fault. The administration must fast track the process of getting approval for cutting down such dangerous trees. If there is any delay, responsibility must be fixed on the officer delaying the approval.
HS Mamik, president, Independent Schools Association
Heritage of neglect
Heritage trees should be properly maintained. Trees that have grown large should be identified and pruned in a timely manner to avoid such incidents.
Dharamvir Singh, Panchkula MC commissioner
Corrective action
Directions have been issued to GMADA and MC authorities to cut the dead trees and prune overgrown ones. MC has already identified 52 dead trees and started cutting it. I also urge residents to alert the MC if they find any such tree.
Amit Talwar, Mohali deputy commissioner
