Corporation cut trees as it was a hindrance to traffic but has this solved the issue?
In the name of resolving the traffic chaos in market area in Belagavi city, Belagavi city Corporation had chopped hundreds of trees three months ago but neither has it succeeded in controlling the traffic chaos nor the illegal street hawkers.
It is big and challenging task for the pedestrians’ and commuters to pass from the Khadebazaar, Ganapat Galli, Maruti Galli, Samadevi Galli, Kirloskar Road and other contingent narrow roads in market area. Adding to it, the street hawkers, two wheeler parking acquire half of the road. All this obviously create a traffic chaos.
Corporation had conducted a meeting with police department to resolve the traffic problem. Basement parking, Prohibition of street hawkers on road, ban on four wheelers in market road, cutting of road side trees was discussed. However sidelining other all options, corporation decided to first cut the trees, which failed in yielding result to control traffic problems.
Shashidhar Kurer, Commissioner, city corporation said ‘Cutting of trees was not just part of resolving the traffic problems, but part of other development works like underground cabling, drainage systems. The illegal encroachments also have been removed at Khadebazaar. We have plans to take action against the illegal commercial establishments in basements in coming days to resolve traffic problems’
A shop owner said that that corporation had cut the road side trees citing reason that the street hawkers acquire the space below the tree for marketing. However they have not left the space even there are no trees. If they had cut the trees for smart city project, it was not necessary to cut the trees and smart city work is also not yet started.