Leaning trouble: Bent trees, overgrown branches pose risk across Noida sectors

Noida: Residents of several sectors across the city have reported heavily bent trees at many spots, with overgrown branches touching overhead power cables, that pose a serious accident risk. Affected areas include sectors 62, 82, 105, 36, and Arun Vihar, among others.According to the presidents of the Rajat Vihar RWA in Sector 62, Sukhdev Sharma, the city is scattered with trees bent at 70-degree angles or even lower, which pose an accident threat similar to the recent incident in Delhi's Kalkaji where a bent tree collapsed on a father-daughter duo and killed the former.Sharma proposed that the Noida Authority's horticulture department officials remove such trees and plant new trees in their place before any similar accident occurs in the area.RWA general secretary of Rajat Vihar, Gopal Verma, further added that they have been raising the matter with officials for the past eight months, but no action has been taken until a tree fell in the area on Aug 12. "Thankfully, no one was injured. But the situation won't be that lucky for long," said Verma.Residents of several other sectors, including 28, 29, 36, 37, 40 and 82 have also demanded a check on their damaged and tilted trees as well as urgent pruning of overgrown branches.KK Jain, secretary general of FONRWA, told TOI, "We have taken up the matter of tree pruning with AK Arora, general manager, horticulture, Noida Authority, as most of the RWAs are facing this problem. During the discussion, we requested that a proper schedule be prepared on a sector-wise basis for pruning of damaged trees."Arora assured residents that the necessary instructions have already been issued to the officials concerned to prepare and implement the sector-wise schedule for pruning."We hope this will provide timely relief to the residents and ensure systematic action across sectors," said Jain.Anand Mohan Singh, deputy director of the horticulture department, Noida Authority, further said that instructions have been given by the Authority CEO that all such trees which are tilted or have grown to a height will be pruned, and the needful will be done.