6 October 2023 11:44 pm Views - 1993
Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) is to discuss relocating of cables and pipelines in the Colombo city with relevant institutions, a senior officer from the Municipal Council said today.
“We cannot remove the trees by the roads because they are needed to ensure clean air in the city environment. We intend to have a dialogue with Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Water Supply and Drainage Board and Sri Lanka Telecom,” CMC Director Engineering K. Ramesh said.
Mr. Ramesh said almost all trees that stand by the roads in Colombo are damaged by pipelines, electricity and telephone cables that are laid underground.
“Roots of the tree which fell on a bus in Kollupitiya were also damaged by the underground power cables. This is the case with regard to almost all trees that stand by the roads in Colombo. Sri Lanka Telecom, Electricity Board and Water Resources and Drainage Board dig the roads and lay cables and pipelines underground. This is a frequent eventuality. These cables and pipelines prevent the roots from moving deeply into the earth. Therefore, the trees in Colombo city by the roads are not firmly rooted to the ground,” he said.
“Roots are often damaged by the cables as well,” he added.
“We have received so many complaints from the residents in Colombo city, and we will attend to these as soon as possible,” he also said. CMC also cut branches of large trees from time to time according to its officers. (Yohan Perera)