Srinagar, June 18 (KNS): Apni Party Spokesperson Javid Hassan Baig on Friday expressed his grave concerns over the potential threat posed to the commuters on National Highway due the decaying condition of the popular trees on either side of the road.

In a statement issued here, Baig said that these popular trees are more than a half-century old and the fungal decay has eaten into their vitals rendering them vulnerable for a sudden fall.

“In recent days we have witnessed how strong winds have resulted in the fall of such dead and decaying trees. There were various accidents which caused huge losses to the properties everywhere,” he remarked.

Baig said that such dead trees are susceptible to breakage and most of the times a nearby power and utility line gets damaged if the tree were to lose a large branch or limb or fall down altogether.

“The power outages and short circuits due to felling of these trees have somehow become a norm and the government needs to promulgate an efficient mechanism via which these trees are identified and axed down that will help to avoid any ominous event,” he said.

Furthermore, Baig suggested that the Department of Forest must also formulate a policy in identifying the naturally fallen trees inside the dense forest covers which if left unattended eventually rot with time.

“The naturally fallen trees in forests must be ferried to timber markets that will help to lower the spiked up prices of timber and besides it will also evade the cutting of healthy and lush green trees,” he asserted.

He said that the revenue raised from the selling of these fallen trees will bolster a positive change and help the concerned department to pay off the wages of their employees, beef-up manpower and also commence extensive afforestation drives.(KNS)