Mangalore: In a rather strange coincidence, two advertising bill board structures have been erected on a private property located by the roadside on a commercial avenue in Pandeshwar, soon after several mature trees that had lined this avenue were felled by the forest department.

 Daniel Tauro, an environmental activist, speaking to Newskarnataka, said, “These bill boards are on private property no doubt, but had the trees not been cut, their visibility would have been nil and they would have had no commercial value, so these actions by the City Corporation in collaboration with the forest department, are indeed a strange coincidence.”

 Incidentally, the advertising agency that has put up these billboards, at both the locations, Cila Advertisers, is allegedly, closely connected to an elected representative from the city, Manager, Cila Advertisers, however asserted that “The trees were in a dangerous position during the rainy season due to which they were cut, and the structure for the bill board was installed much later.”
 
He refused to answer further questions on the matter due to his busy schedule. Several attempts were made to re establish contact later on but in vain.
 
What do residents have to say?
 
News Karnataka spoke to the residents of the property on which the two billboards in Pandeshwar have been installed. When queried on the reason for the felling of the trees, the residents, said that one of trees,  had fallen on its own, due to the rains in the month of August, and had damaged their compound wall and despite several petitions, the Tashildar had not given them any relief in constructing the compound wall again”.  However, when News Karnataka raised the issue of installation of the bill boards, in relation to the cutting of the trees, the residents refused to answer.
 
Newskarnataka sought the views of other residents too.
 
A resident, who lives a few buildings away from where the bill boards have been installed, said, “I received an offer to install the bill boards in my property from the same advertising company that has now installed these boards. I felt that the boards would destroy the aesthetics of the place, and further, cutting of trees was required, so I declined”.
 
However, when the views of another resident in the area were sought, he said, that the trees were touching the high-tension as well as low-tension wire due to which MESCOM had the trees cut.
 
Why were the trees cut?

It is learnt, that the forest department took the initiative to cut the trees.  An official in the forest department, speaking on condition of anonymity admitted that the trees were cut as they had started to uproot due to age, size, soil conditions and the rainy season. He also told Newskarnataka that the department was completely unaware that bill boards would be coming up at these locations.
 
Who is responsible for this?
 
Ironically, the tree cutting and installation of hoardings has sparked off a blame game between the Mangalore city corporation on the one hand and the forest department on the other.
 
When contacted, the concerned MCC official, Praveen Chandra Karkera – Assistant Revenue Officer, said, “People come here seeking permission for installing a hoarding on a private land, and that cannot be denied if conditions are met.” To a query on the proposed action he said that, “if any illegality is brought to our attention in writing, we will issue notice to the concerned”.
 
It might be relevant to note that in September 2013, three employees of an ad billboard company were arrested after they were caught cutting down 11 young Balete trees on the center island of Edsa, Quezon City in Philippines. In Mangalore however, the narrative is different.