The sight of the bare sky was a sight of heartbreak for Ramesh Babu Rajaguru from Pappanaickenpalayam here. The chopping of a dozen tree branches that he had nurtured made the sky bare without the shade that his trees gave. They were cut by the workers of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO).

The reason they gave was powerline problems caused by the tree branches near Lexus Regency Apartments. The felling of trees that had grown above 20 feet was without giving proper notice, he says.

“I have been grooming these trees for the past seven years ever since I moved in here. The trees have been a blessing to the taxi drivers who park their cars under its shade. But now it is all bare,” Ramesh told Covai Post.

If there was a problem posed to powerlines because of the branches, they could have been crooned so that the growth of the trees would not touch the power lines.

Even trees which were not a hindrance were cut, he said. It was done mercilessly and most callously, he adds.

It will take a few years for the sprouts to grow to those heights. More than 30 trees in the vicinity were planted by him. Staff from a nearby nursery was tending them.

“Though I complained to the officials nothing has happened so far. I plan to do something to create awareness among TANGEDCO men who need to be sensible which handling such issues,” he added.