State Minister of Defence, Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, announced that a special programme will be implemented to cut down and remove trees at risk of collapsing within the jurisdiction of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC). This initiative aims to address the safety concerns posed by these trees, especially in light of recent adverse weather conditions.
Speaking during a press conference today (27), the State Minister mentioned that personnel from the Sri Lanka Army and Civil Defence Force are expected to be deployed for the process of removing these high-risk trees. This operation will be conducted under the full supervision of the Colombo Municipal Council to ensure proper management and execution.
Furthermore, Minister Tennakoon revealed that new trees will be planted to replace those that are removed. This replanting effort is part of a broader strategy to maintain the city’s greenery while addressing public safety concerns.
The decision comes after reports of seven deaths caused by fallen trees due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions. According to data from the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), the bad weather has affected a total of 55,406 persons from 14,754 families across 212 district secretariat (DS) divisions within 20 districts