CMC continues removal of high-risk trees in Colombo

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama   

The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) yesterday said that it is still in the process of identifying trees that pose a risk to the public within the CMC areas and the trees already flagged as high-risk by the police and the public, are currently being removed.

Speaking to Daily Mirror, CMC Commissioner Bhadrani Jayawardena said that the CMC has three teams working to trim branches and handle all tree maintenance activities in Colombo, the commissioner added.   

She also mentioned that no prior research had been done to plant trees that shed fewer leaves, flowers, or branches, have stronger trunks, or less shallow roots.   

“There’s no equipment or system that can guarantee 100% whether a tree is risky,” she said. “There are many reasons why a tree in Colombo might become dangerous.”   

“Colombo is the only city where we beautify by maintaining trees. As it’s considered the garden city, it’s tough to manage them,” she added.   

Ms. Jayawardena also urged the public to stay alert for hazardous trees and report them to the CMC via their emergency number, 110.   

“There are trees that could cause severe damage if they fall, but they haven’t been identified as high-risk to the public,” she noted.   

Meanwhile, she also said that after conducting research in collaboration with the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), the CMC has identified several tree species with lower risks to the public, such as the Karanda (Pongame Oil Tree), Mee tree, Na tree, and Kobolila tree (Butterfly tree), for planting in the city of Colombo.