Osai, a non-governmental organisation involved in nature conservation, came to the rescue of a nearly 20-year-old champak tree (Magnolia champaca) which was allegedly about to be axed at Saibaba Colony here on Tuesday.
The NGO’s organiser K. Syed said he received a call from a resident that a champak tree planted 20 years ago was being cut by some unknown persons. As the resident handed over the phone to one of the persons involved in cutting the tree, he denied that it was being axed and they fled the spot, he said. The 50-feet-tall tree was spared with only a few of its branches being cut, he said.
“Many choose to cut such trees without any authorisation for minor inconveniences,” Mr. Syed said, which include blockage of view by a tree, accumulation of tree litteror birds flocking a particular tree. The NGO will approach the Revenue Department if such attempts to cut trees illegally were reported in the future, he said.