KARACHI: As residents of the West Avenue returned home in Defence Housing Authority Phase 1, they noticed that the yellow poinciana trees which normally greeted them as they drove into their neighbourhood were no longer there.

Someone had chopped them down. Although this was not the first time trees in the DHA had been axed, both the DHA and Cantonment Board Clifton declined to take responsibility of the job done some two nights ago.

“These trees had been there for more than 50 years,” said Nighat Mir, a resident and a founding member of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. “I grew up in this neighbourhood. It broke my heart to see them gone, I had seen them grow.”

She added that a tree was supposed to be trimmed not chopped with a pickaxe.

“While we appreciate everything they [DHA] do,” she said, “I do feel that they should have at least had a town meeting to discuss what they were planning to do to the area.”

She said the authorities did not take the residents into consideration and decided to cut the trees “in the dead of the night like thieves”.

“They have chopped down a part of my childhood,” said Ms Mir. “This is vandalism at its worst. We have to stop it here. They should replace the trees they cut.”

Ms Mir is one of the many residents who feel so strongly about DHA’s move to chop Lignum and other trees to widen the road in front of their offices in the area.

“We have rights…time and again we have asked the authorities to send bowsers to water the trees and treat them for termites but got nothing. They chop the trees whenever they want,” she said. “Then they have the cheek to say ‘plant more trees’.”

Demand to replant trees

The area people have finally decided to hold a meeting today (Saturday) to chalk out their plan to meet DHA’s horticulture department, architects, urban planners and other residents to demand that the trees be replaced, a town meeting be held and more trees be planted.

Raza Gardezi of Shehri-Citizens for a Better Environment said the residents should file a petition in a court of law. “A tree should not be cut. It is trimmed. If it is obstructing something, trim off the branches. If they cut 10 trees, the residents should ask them to plant double,” he said.

Ms Mir said the green heritage was more important than any civil works in the city as “these are our life”.

This area is the oldest phase here, she explained. “A certified planner had designed Phase 1 that is why there are proper avenues and streets. But these are being systematically destroyed,” she alleged.

“The birds and bees need the trees, which also create a barrier against the noise levels, provide shade and fresh air. We demand that DHA or CBC or whoever did this should replace the trees.”

Her neighbour, Huma Pasha, remembered the trees lined in front of the DHA offices and said it was a horrible thing that had happened. She said she often referred to the trees as the scrambled eggs tree. “It used to be so beautiful,” she said.

Ms Pasha added that this was not the first time they had cut trees. “They did the same when they were laying the gutter lines,” she said. “Everywhere in the world if the tree is obstructing your view, you call a tree surgeon who correctly trims the tree,” she said. “This is done so that the tree remains intact. But no, these people bring axes.”

Mona Qaiser, another area resident, said: “We are tree-huggers. Every time they send someone to cut a tree or branches, because it was doing something to the wires, my chowkidar calls me or my husband and we rush down to stop them.”

DHA spokesman retired Major Aurangzeb said they had nothing to do with cutting trees in the area, as plants and trees were the Cantonment Board Clifton’s jurisdiction.

When contacted, the CBC spokesperson, too, said they did not do it. “We trim trees,” said the spokesperson while talking to Dawn. “We do not cut trees. It is unlawful to do so and we know it.”

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2016