The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement yesterday that two trees will soon be removed from Praça de Luís de Camões and Avenida de Sidónio Pais this month due to their “high risk of collapsing” and, therefore, posing a potential hazard to pedestrian safety.
According to the statement, the Chinese Hackberry tree in Praça de Luís de Camões, was found to have holes and signs of decay in the tree base during inspections by IAM officials last year. IAM officials have carried out large-scale pruning work on that tree and continued to monitor its health condition, the statement pointed out.
However, the results of a recent IAM inspection of the tree earlier this year showed that the decay has continued and the risk of collapse has increased, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Batavia Cinnamon tree on Avenida de Sidónio Pais, which has been infected with brown root rot disease and has previously undergone pruning and maintenance work, has continued to show weakened growth and its crown has shrunk and wilted, the statement said.
As the Chinese Hackberry tree in Praça de Luís de Camões is located near a bus stop, part of the bus stop area will be occupied and used during the tree’s removal, the statement underlined, adding that members of the public should follow the site instructions and avoid walking near the area, so as to avoid any accidents.
The bureau called on the public to contact it by calling its Hotline on 2833 7676 if they find any abnormalities in trees, or for any enquiries.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows the ailing Chinese Hackberry tree (front) in Praça de Luís de Camões slated to be removed this month.
