Trees felled outside Mayor’s house to create parking space

GVMC officials come under fire; Commissioner assures action

Officials of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) on Thursday came under fire from environmentalists and denizens after several trees and plants were uprooted outside Mayor G. Hari Venkata Kumari’s residence to create parking space, at Arilova. Videos and pictures that were posted by passersby and local residents on social media websites and messaging apps on Thursday showed earthmoving machines uprooting several trees and plants in a 200-metre stretch outside the Mayor’s residence, and trucks carrying away soil removed from the area to create a level parking space. The incident sparked anger among environmentalists and denizens who demanded strict action against civic officials responsible for the incident. Denizens also expressed their disappointment with the Mayor, saying she should not have allowed such an incident to happen.