Over 500 trees pose threat of collapse

Authorities have identified 558 trees in Colombo that are over 100 years old and pose the threat of collapse, Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Commissioner Bhadrani Jayawardena told journalists in Colombo on Saturday (16).

She said Colombo is one of Sri Lanka’s greenest cities.They have already removed 214 of these trees, she added.

According to the Commissioner in the recent months, there had been much-publicised incidents involving old trees falling on to the road.A few days ago, a tree near Gregory’s Road, Colombo, fell across the road, causing traffic disruption.

In October, five people died when a tree fell on a bus along Duplication Road, Colombo, and the survey on trees that could pose a hazard commenced after this incident.

(RK)