As a practice that is becoming recurrent in the municipality of Valledupar, the authorities classify the poisoning and felling of trees by unscrupulous people, who without measuring the consequences, cause serious damage to the tree planting of the city.
For this reason, Jorge Luis Fernández, director of Corpocesar, said that they have obtained cases of trees affected with toxic substances and massive felling of branches, in different sectors, mainly in the central areas of the city.
“The trees are completely dry from the roots to the leaves. One of the recently known cases is one of mamón, located in the fourth race by the Hurtado spa, from which they cut all the branches and part of the stem to obtain the fruit, ”he said.
Fernández announced that investigations are being carried out to find those responsible for these bad practices and impose sanctions, whether financial or compensation for the damage caused. “Likewise, due to the voices of parents, six mango trees were attacked with commercial chemicals in the vicinity of the Prudencia Daza educational institution and in front of the Bilingual school on Avenida Sierra Nevada, causing the trunk to deteriorate and later fall, becoming a large danger to passers-by,” he said.
Cases of very leafy trees have also been detected whose community identifies them as a risk, but instead of seeking help from the environmental authorities, they prune them incorrectly, causing the death of the tree. “Unfortunately, no one denounces to be able to identify those responsible, therefore, we urge the community to protect the trees and warn before the ecosystem is harmed.”
Another of the most recent cases occurred last weekend on 11th Street, the first stage of the Garupal neighborhood, where a tree was bare in its trunk to finish it off little by little.
For his part, Wilson Pérez, an environmentalist, said that civic culture should be instilled in the new generations, creating spaces for environmental protection. What is happening in Valledupar with tree planting is unfortunate.