Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 08 February 2024
A routine tree removal operation at the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) campus in Campbell Bay took a catastrophic turn on February 6, 2024, resulting in significant damage to nearby infrastructure. The campus, housing critical facilities like the Satellite Ground Station and the Chennai-Andaman and Nicobar Islands Submarine Optical Fibre Cable Landing Station, had been dealing with the threat posed by hazardous trees.
BSNL, after securing necessary permissions, had initiated a project to remove 17 trees from its premises. A local contractor was awarded the task, but the execution of the operation encountered an unforeseen tragedy. As dusk approached on the fateful day, an unfortunate accident occurred when one of the trees being removed fell onto an Andaman Public Works Department (APWD) Quarter, causing its crown to crash onto the New Block of the APWD Guest House.
The impact of the falling tree not only damaged the APWD Quarter but also compromised the roof of the Guest House. Additionally, the incident resulted in the snapping of power lines, leading to a prolonged power outage in several areas of Campbell Bay.
Sources familiar with the incident revealed that the contractor had successfully felled one tree before sunset. However, as workers began work on the second tree, daylight faded, prompting them to secure it with ropes and call it a day. Unfortunately, strong winds prevailed, causing the tree to topple over onto the nearby structures.
In the aftermath of the incident, the contractor responsible for the tree removal operation has undertaken efforts to repair the damaged APWD Quarter and the affected section of the Guest House.
The unfortunate turn of events serves as a stark reminder of the importance of meticulous planning and execution, especially in operations involving potentially hazardous activities like tree removal, to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.