The annual maintenance work undertaken by the Wesco ahead of the Durga Puja has become a destruction drive for the green coverage in the city. In order to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the festive season, the power distributer company is doing the maintenance works in the city and rural areas as well in Sambalur district.
Since tree branches touch the low-hanging electricity wire, Wesco employees are cutting the branches abruptly everywhere. “This is totally unscientific. People are hurt by this move as greenery is being destroyed,” opined Siddhant Mohanty, a former GM University Students’ Union present.
“Maintenance is required for uninterrupted electricity supply. For this purpose some other method needs to be chalked out instead of cutting the branches of the trees. And there are many alternatives also. Cutting of big branches will weaken trees only,” said Bijay Kumar Behera, an environmentalist. He suggested to raise the height of the electric poles and to spread underground cables so that trees can be saved and more safety can be ensured.
It is not at all wise to cut tree branches regularly. During Puja season, truck loads of branches are being dumped and damaged unnecessarily, he lamented. A senior officer of the Wesco said on the condition of anonymity that though the distribution company has many better proposals in place to avoid tree cutting, yet those are not being implemented.