• Only trees with high commercial value are  given priority when it comes to maintenance of trees

By Yohan Perera

Corruption had hampered the felling and maintenance of trees in Colombo City, former Council member alleged yesterday.  

Former Member of Colombo Municipal Council Shermila  Gonawala told Daily Mirror only trees with high commercial value are  given priority when it comes to maintenance of trees in Colombo City.  “Only trees with high commercial value are often felled to prune when  it comes to maintenance of trees in the city. This is because they fell  the trees and sell them for timber. They earn large sums of money  through this scam. Other trees which are old and vulnerable are hardy  focused” she said.  

“There is another social ill as those who are sent to fell trees in residential areas demand high amounts of money from the  residents to cut a tree down or to prune,” she added. 

 
Meanwhile, it was also reported that a plan to obtain the services of a tree surgeon (an expert on maintaining trees) was never  implemented.