Grand old mango tree still awaits burial

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Every living being merges with Mother Earth post death. And, it seems the authorities are waiting for such a moment in the case of the grand old mango tree at Museum Junction that fell down about two months ago.Onam is just round the corner and the roads are sure to overflow with huge crowds. But the debris of the tree is still remaining there, blocking the footpath. The authorities seem unmoved even by the fact that the place is a major centre where most of the festival action takes place and there exists an immediate need to clear the area.Officials of the Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL), who have the responsibility of carrying out maintenance works on the road,  said that they "are unable to take action despite being aware of the situation as the usual issue of red tape is the impediment here too.’’"We need the clearance certificate of the Forest Department before we can remove the debris. For that, they have to carry out the valuation process of the wood, which is being delayed for the past two months for unknown reasons,’’ said Anilkumar Pandala, vice-president of the TRDCL.If the debris is removed without conducting the valuation process, it would invite legal problems, he said.Pandala added that the TRDCL works were further affected by the delay as they could not resume the beautification works of the traffic island at the junction, which they had started a few months ago, as the Fire and Rescue workers had deposited a huge portion of the tree’s trunk on the island too.The Forest Department officials, when contacted, refrained from disclosing the reason for the delay. However, they said that the debris would be removed soon.R Vinayan, Assistant Conservator of the Social Forestry wing of the Forest Department, said that they have finally obtained the permission to carry out the valuation process this week itself.Now that the authorities have finally decided to take action, one has to wait and watch whether they could repair the serious damage caused by the fall of the tree and recover the old beauty of the place during the very little time that is left before the start of the festival season.