The mysterious felling of trees in the capital city of Bhubaneswar, particularly along the Janpath (Sishu Bhavan to Vani Vihar Square), has exposed a nexus between the State officials, particularly the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and advertising companies in the city.
Recently, many trees and their branches were chopped between Padhi Tutorial and Big Bazaar square for better visibility of hoardings erected on the rooftop of the buildings.
“We have observed that many outdoor advertising agencies in the city cut tree branches and many times even the whole tree to make place for hoardings in late nights. These agencies even use goons to threaten people who see their act damaging the city’s green assets,” said a shopkeeper near Big Bazaar square on a condition of anonymity.
Miscreants chopped a tree totally planted in front of his shop recently, he said.
Despite repeated demands and appeals by the civic activists, environmentalists and citizens for monitoring of outdoor advertising agencies that put up huge hoardings across the city at the cost of the city’s trees, the BMC is yet to act in this regard.
Meanwhile, many corporators and activists have demanded that the BMC should prepare a hoarding policy and implement the same in letter and spirit.
When contacted, BMC Mayor, who was in Kandhamal for campaigning for parliamentary by-polls, said he would look into the matter. “let me look into the matter and stringent action will be taken against the culprits,” assured the Mayor.
The intellectuals have demanded that the BMC come up with a strong hoarding policy to check sky sign advertisements and hoardings in the city.