Thousands of old trees to be replaced

KIGALI - THE Minister of Forestry and Mines, Christopher Bazivamo, has issued a decree to cut down all oversized, aged and hazardous trees along the roads of Kigali City.According to Dismas Bakundikize, the Director of Forest Field Programs Unit in the National Forests Authority (NAFA), the minister’s decree was to cut down all hazardous trees not later than yesterday. However, the exercise which took off yesterday instead of Friday, could could be completed today. 250 trees in Kigali city were identified for felling and marked with white paint. “Initially, our attention was upcountry because that is where we had received complaints on the dangers of the huge old trees alongside the roads. However, since the recent tree accident at Gishushu in Kigali, our focus has shifted to Kigali city to prevent future disasters,” Bakundikize said yesterday. The fatal accident, caused by a huge eucalyptus tree that fell on a minibus, claimed two lives and injured six.Initially, the plan was to cut down some trees, and prune others whose branches were capable of causing accidents. However, following the decree, the hazardous trees will be done away with first, followed by the pruning..Bakundikize added that the exercise does not only apply to Kigali city; it is a nationwide exercise with 92 trees identified in Huye to allow for expansion of the road; and 460 in Nyamasheke, for the same reason. . Other places include 500 trees in Muhanga and 382 trees in Ruhango District in the Southern Province where the exercise began two months ago.On Thursday, three other trees fell including one situated near Bank of Kigali (BK), that damaged a parked car; another one at Camp Kigali and the third at Kanyinya, Shyorongi, which did not cause any damage. . Bakundikize said that the old trees will be replaced with others that are stronger and with a longer life span, as well as with roots that grow vertically into the ground.He added that various tree nursery beds have been prepared in several areas in Kigali. According to Bruno Rangira, the Director of Communications at Kigali City Council, cutting and replacing trees in the city is a regular exercise. He said that Kigali city has been identifying unwanted trees in the city and requested NAFA to cut and replace them. The head of the Disaster Management Task Force in Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs Ministry, Cyprien Gatete, has also warned of Rocky hillsides along the roads, asserting saying they too can be hazardous .. Gatete stated that rocky hillsides along the roads can cause more severe accidents compared to the recent eucalyptus tree that claimed two people.“That was not a disaster of course, it was an accident but we are concerned with the lives of every Rwandan. We shall identify those dangerous rocky landscapes along the roads and advise accordingly,” Gatete told the Sunday Times. Ends