Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Commissioner Bhadrani Jayawardena said that a total of 558 trees, each over 100 years old, have been identified as potentially dangerous in Colombo city.
Initially, based on information from various sources, only 330 trees were flagged as hazardous. However, a subsequent inspection revealed that 558 trees posed a risk, leading to the removal of 214 of them with the intervention of the CMC.
Colombo, in comparison to other towns, boasts a significant number of century-old trees. The CMC is actively engaged in a substantial effort to maintain a balance among these trees by strategically pruning branches to preserve their longevity.
Commissioner Jayawardena highlighted that beyond the identified dangerous trees, there is a broader concern about the risk of trees falling in Colombo city. This concern gained prominence recently when a large tree near Gregory's Road in Cinnamon Garden, Colombo, fell across the road. Instances of trees falling across several roads in Colombo have been reported in the past as well.
