Gautam Budh Nagar: Noida authority asked to remove reflectors from trees

Noida authority officials, however, distanced themselves from the incident and denied any involvement in the installation of the reflectors

Several trees along the service road of the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway have been severely damaged due to the installation of yellow reflectors hammered into their trunks. Responding over the issue, the Gautam Budh Nagar forest department issued a notice to the Noida authority’s horticulture department on Tuesday, instructing them to remove the reflectors immediately.

According to forest department officials, these reflectors were installed on trees stretching up to the Sector 148 metro station without proper authorisation. (HT Photo)

According to forest department officials, these reflectors were installed on trees stretching up to the Sector 148 metro station without proper authorisation.

The department’s letter to the Noida authority said, “It has come to our attention that trees along the service road of Noida-Greater Noida Expressway till Sector 148 metro station have been allegedly mutilated, and nails have been hammered to put on reflectors on them. The authority is directed to take immediate action and apprise the forest department of the same.”

“Nailing reflectors to trees can cause significant harm, as it damages the bark and can lead to infection, decay, and even death of the tree. It also disrupts tree’s natural growth pattern and can cause structural weakness overtime,” said forest department officials.

Divisional forest officer Pramod Kumar Srivastava emphasised the environmental harm caused by this unauthorised activity.

“We have issued a notice to remove the reflectors as they are causing harm to the trees. The reflectors were installed without getting permission from the forest department, and we have received complaints from residents as well as environmental activists about the issue. We are working to resolve the matter and ensure the safety of the trees and the environment,” he said.

However, Noida authority officials distanced themselves from the incident, denying any involvement in the installation of the reflectors. Deputy director of horticulture at the Noida Authority Anand Mohan said, “It has been brought to my knowledge that nails have been hammered into the trees to put on reflectors, but we have not carried out such an exercise. This, perhaps, has been done by some builder. These will soon be taken down, and action will be initiated against whoever is found guilty post a survey.”

Meanwhile, environmentalist Vikrant Tongad alleged that this is not the first time the issue has been raised. Previously, the reflectors were removed, but they were reinstalled, prompting the forest department to intervene again, Tongad claimed.

“The practice of using trees as makeshift hangers is rampant in India, with both government and private organisations guilty of hammering nails into trees to hang various objects. In this case, instead of installing separate reflectors along the roadside, the trees have been mutilated,” Tongad added.