Overgrown trees posing high risk to road users at Rajendranagar

Rajendranagar: In the absence of proper maintenance, the trees that were planted to promote avenue plantation on waysides and on the maiden on Himayath Sagar road have now precariously grown up and occupied the footpaths, while the streetlight poles, in the middle of the road, too have tilted down unable to put up with the pressure from the grown trees.

This can be seen all the way from Dairy Farm crossroad to Himayat Sagar Junction near Outer Ring Road Toll Plaza while the road is having high profile research institutions like NIRD, NIPHA, NAARM and WALAMTARI besides government offices such as Sub-registrar office, GHMC office, MRO office, civil supply office, MLA camp office and office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rajendranagar.

These saplings were planted almost three years ago to promote avenue plantation on waysides and on the maiden of the four-kilometre-long stretch with serene environment. However, the saplings turned into fully-grown trees over the years and the branches have occupied footpaths leaving no space for the pedestrians to walk freely.

More pathetic is the ambiance of maidens where fully-grown trees have overpowered the streetlight poles tucked amid the road and some of them even tilted down unable to withstand the weight of the trees.

It is said that the matured trees with wildly grown up branches are now posing a grave risk to the commuters on this serpentine stretch and more often causing accidents. For years, no trimming has been done to cut these trees down to size thereby to prevent causing harm to the road users.

"People can't easily walk through the pathways as the branches of fully-grown trees occupied most of the space. As trimming was not done periodically, the wayward branches have turned into sharp bushes and contributing to an awful ambiance besides posing risk to the commuters and pedestrians," rued Ramesh, a local resident. It is learnt that the Rajendranagar Police have written a letter to Deputy Commissioner, GHMC, Rajendranagar last month drawing attention towards the need to trim the tree branches that were grown waywardly and causing frequent accidents. However, no action has been initiated so far despite the fact that the road from Dairy Farm crossroad to Himayat Sagar Junction has witnessed a significant jump in the vehicular moment over the years.