Safety overlooked lives of trees in Andaman

Dec 26:  In order to ensure a clean and safe stay for the President Pratibha Patil and her 10-member family entourage during her three day’s official visit to Andaman and Nicobar starting from Wednesday has cost the island a few hundreds of trees that have been chopped down.

More than 400 trees have been cut down to create a helipad for the presidential chopper to land and take off in Port Blair, Havelock Island and Vandur. Besides other activities, the President will distribute 200 houses for tsunami victims of Kinyuka village in Car Nicobar.

At least 60 trees between the airport and Raj Nivas were cut down since trees were creating obstruction in view of the beach from where the President would be sitting. “ Havelock Island has a helipad, but the trees were chopped down because the security officials couldn’t view the beach from the designated place,” said Johnson, a social worker.

Sources said that trees were chopped to make way from helipad to Wandoor village, about 30 km southwest of Port Blair, where she with her entourage would visit.

Wandoor is gifted by nature as one of the most environmentally protected areas in the country, the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, spread over 15 islands and rivulet and has a rich diversity of flora and fauna across 280 sq km.

During her stay, Pratibha Patil will visit the rehabilitation work sites in the tsunami affected areas and interact with the islanders so as to know their problems they were facing. She will also visit Air Force Tsunami Memorial in Car-Nicobar, besides National Memorial Celllular Jail and will lay wreath at the Freedom Fighters Memorial Column.

“Trees were cut for the construction of the helipad; the trees which were cut were in the funnel area. While take-off or landing of the choppers, all directions have to be cleared of any obstruction that led to the cutting of trees. The Indian Air Force was monitoring the helipad project, while the Andaman PWD executed it,” said S S Chaudhary, principal Conservator of Forests, who is also Environment Secretary in the Andaman administration.

Further added, “There was no need to consult the Union Environment and Forest ministry, since this is a local requirement. The Indian Air Force is monitoring it and we are following Civil Aviation Ministry guidelines while constructing the helipad.”

A Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said: “The Rashtrapati Bhawan had asked for no damage to be made to the environment while constructing the helipad. According to the Andaman administration, no trees have been cut. But some trees have been pruned to facilitate the landing and take-off of the chopper.”

Also with the purpose to ensure safety all advance bookings on the Christmas-New Year’s eve week between December 20 and December 31, have been cancelled in the Tourism Department-run Dolphin Beach Resort. The cancellation order was issued by the Tourism department between November 28 and December 12.

However, Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesman said no order of cancellation of bookings have been issued from here.