Trees Branches Chopped to Make Advt/Business Sign Boards Visible

Trees Branches Chopped to Make Advt/Business Sign Boards Visible

Trees Branches Chopped to Make Advt/Business Sign Boards Visible, Opposite Canara Jewellers near Hampankatta Junction. The bottom line is: “Billboards/Hoardings make Money, Trees Don’t.”

Mangaluru: One one hand Environmentalists and ministers plant trees to give greenery to the City, either during Vanamahotsava or World Environmental Day- but on the other hand, there are these advertisement companies that go ahead and prune or cut tree branches to make their advertising hoardings visible. Along with these people, there are workers of Mescom who also trim trees- by this is a safety matter, when compared to the ad agency guys who go on a rampage pruning trees, for their benefit of their company and their advertisers. Regarding carbon situation across the globe demands we plant more trees but the opposite is happening in Mangaluru. Last month few trees were trimmed/chopped to clear way for the advertisement hoardings to be seen near Lady Hill/Chilimbi and other places. Now, couple of trees branches in front of Canara Jewellers, near Hampankatta signal lights have been chopped to make a digital ad board, and also the Hotel/restaurant visible.

It was a long-time demand of environmentalists to take action against the damage that is caused to trees due to advertisement companies. Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Dinesh Holla, Convener of Sahyadri Sanchaya said, ” It is very hurtful when you see these trees without branches, some of the trees were planted recently. Most of these trees planted by us, are being taken care and watered regularly. But these ad companies and other miscreants are testing our patience by trimming or cutting down these trees which give clean air and oxygen. Seems like there is a hand in hand connection between the City authorities and Ad agencies when they do all these illegal things.”

Shashidar Shetty, the State Secretary of National Environment Care Federation (NECF) speaking to Team Mangalorean said, ” Not only these advertising companies use flex on their hoardings which is banned, over that they are now trimming the green trees. which is condemnable by us. We will have to see that a tough stand is taken against these persons who commit such acts. Many of these ad agencies violate the advertising laws-legally they should be placed within a certain distance and should be of a certain height. It is sad to note that many of the environmentalists plant trees to give greenery to a city, and these miscreants destroy them eventually. Because of this, many environmentalists have stopped planting trees in the city, instead, they plant them in the outskirts of the City”.

Green activists have also demanded action against illegal tree felling for putting up advertisement hoardings. There are many cases in which people cut trees or branches so that advertisement boards or hoardings are visible. In the meantime, Mayor Kavitha Sanil has said “I will act as per the KMC Act, and cancel the licences of these ad firms if they are found in violation of the norms and rules”.