DNA

• Some of them blocked view of beach in Andamans

Chennai, Dec 26 (mb): President Pratibha Patil’s scheduled Boxing Day helicopter-hopping across Andaman and Nicobar has cost the islands a few hundreds of trees. They have been chopped down to ensure a “clear and safe” stay for the President.

The President will, besides other activities, give away 200 houses for tsunami victims of Kinyuka village in Car Nicobar on Wednesday. More than 400 trees have been chopped down, among other things to create a ‘funnel area’ for the presidential chopper to land and take off, in Port Blair, Havelock Island and Vandur.

The tree-felling started a couple of weeks ago, before the President set out on a southern sojourn starting with Hyderabad.

Andamans residents told DNA over telephone that several old trees on the five-km stretch from Chatham Road to Raj Nivas in Port Blair, where the President will be put up, were cut down. “The authorities told us that some of the trees are too old and may fall any time, endangering the President’s motorcade. Not even a branch has fallen on the road till date,” said Thomas Thenalil, a resident.  

“Trees as old as 100 years were cut down. At least 60 trees between the airport and Raj Nivas were cut down. There is nobody to question and nobody to answer,” K Ganesan, editor of Andaman Express, a Port Blair newspaper, said. 

In Havelock, 60 km from Port Blair, where the President will be visiting for a day, trees were cut down since they blocked the view of the beach from where the President would be sitting. “Havelock island has a helipad, but the trees were cut because the VVIP cannot see the beach from the designated place,” said Johnson, a social worker.