Capt. Anup Murthy wrote, elsewhere on this site, about his spat with the authorities:  At the corner of Kuvempunagar double Road near the Airtel office the electric company was busy knocking down branches of a tree. ….they started to indiscriminately cut branches that were nowhere near the power lines and no chance of these branches growing anywhere close. After a local argument, the workers decided to bring the AE on the scene. I asked if they had asked for permission from anyone. He said they did not need one and they had the power to cut down anything they wanted.

San Ramon, Apl.14: Here is an account of the lengths to which residents of Danville, CA, and its town council can go in a bid to save a tree, even though it poses a traffic hazard. The century old oak leans low over a stretch of road. It has caused problems for drivers for long. It doesn’t meet the officially laid down standards of minimum clearance. So, the town planning commission voted for its removal.

This is when the 30-inch-diameter tree became a public issue. Residents who wanted the tree saved appealed to the town council, held two public meetings, and posted a ‘Save Me’ sign on the tree. The town council, in deference to the residents’ plea ordered an expert investigation, to see if the traffic hazard can be reduced to acceptable level without having to remove the tree. Expert ruled that 80 percent of the tree needs to be pruned; in which case it may not survive.

The town council is now faced with an option: If the old oak must go, three new trees need to be planted in replacement.

See related item, Click on Dinakar’s ‘Tree Killing…stop this’