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Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) will intensify its drive in cutting down of the dried and dead trees that may pose a risk to the lives of residents.

On Saturday, a tree that fell on a shop claimed two lives in Bhopal. On the day, 40 trees had fallen in different areas of Bhopal. It led to disruption in power supply in most areas.

Besides, a few vehicles were also damaged by trees falling in the storm. BMC has now woken up to the reality and they will remove all trees that are either dried, or infected, or dead.

Besides, the civic body will also raze dilapidated buildings in Bhopal as these pose an equal threat to people’s lives. Similarly, trees that pose a risk to lives should be removed or shifted elsewhere. But hardly any action has been taken in this regard. A few trees are trimmed every year but the dried or dead trees still stand at their locations.

Former forest officer Jagdish Chandra said, “Removing a tree is not an option and we need to conserve trees that are old. A tree that has had a life span of 500 years but falls in the wind shows that we have weakened its roots. Instead of focusing on removing such trees, we should focus on their safety and conservation.”

BMC additional commissioner Pawan Singh said that the municipal corporation had removed a few dried trees and would remove other such trees that might fall and cause any loss to lives.