Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

Tree uprooted on Secretariat premises

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad Aug. 22. A huge aging tree abutting the Chief Minister's office on the fourth floor of the C block in the Secretariat came crashing down this evening due to rain, causing anxious moments to securitymen and commotion in the front courtyard where it fell.

The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, was present in his office when the "peltophorum'' tree was uprooted and fell with a crash at 3.25 pm. A handful of visitors from districts, who were hanging around the place for gaining an audience with the Chief Minister, had a miraculous escape with the security personnel clearing them from the site only moments earlier. The continuous drizzle also saved the situation because, otherwise, the courtyard which is being used as lung space and for parking purpose, would have been dotted with a lot of people.

A nameboard indicating the Chief Minister's office that stood under the tree for long was crushed under the tree. What followed was a virtual war-footing operation for clearing. With the directive from the chief security officer of the Secretariat, C. Yesuratnam, police, fire service and the "emergency squad'' of the Municipal Corporation trooped in and swarmed around, giving the site the look of a war- ravaged zone. Armed with motor-saws, they cut the branches and the large trunk into pieces, which were readily taken away by the trucks.

The interesting tailpiece was that the void was immediately filled. The Chief Minister planted a grown-up "Pogada'' plant exactly at the same place in the presence of officials and watch and ward staff.

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