Nedumkunnam: What offered solace and shade to generations has now become a Damoclean sword hanging over people’s heads. In an ironic twist of fate, a man is now running from pillar to post across government offices, pleading with authorities to chop down the very trees his late father once lovingly planted.

The residents of Nedumkunnam find themselves in the grip of an unusual predicament. Two towering Indian almond (badam) trees, planted on public land beside the town bridge over four decades ago, have transformed from a benevolent green canopy into a perilous hazard for motorists, pedestrians, and local shopkeepers alike. Leading the campaign to remove them before disaster strikes is Sojan Scaria Elappunkal, a local hardware merchant.

The backstory
The trees at the heart of this unfolding crisis have a peculiar history. Back in 1983, Sojan’s father, Elappunkal Appachan, was a dejected man. Following a stinging defeat for the UDF in the local panchayat elections, a crestfallen Appachan could not bring himself to face the jeering crowds at Nedumkunnam junction. To channel his embarrassment into something productive, he planted two almond saplings along the roadside.

As the years rolled by, those saplings flourished into magnificent, leafy giants, bringing sweet relief to sun-scorched commuters and weary passersby. But forty years later, the once-cherished shade has turned into a living nightmare.

A sword of Damocles
Standing precariously on a sharp bend near the bridge on the road leading from the Government School to the town centre, the decaying giants now look ready to come crashing down at any moment.

Their sprawling branches have grown heavily entangled with overhead high-tension power cables. Branches frequently snap and bring down the wires, plunging the neighborhood into darkness.

The danger is no longer just hypothetical. Not long ago, a heavy branch snapped and smashed directly onto Sojan’s parked car. Just days ago, pedestrians had a miraculous, hair’s-breadth escape when another large limb came crashing down onto the road seconds after they walked past.

Pained to see his father’s living legacy turn into a lethal hazard, Sojan has formally petitioned the grama panchayat and other relevant authorities. The plea from local traders and residents is urgent and unequivocal: either fell the precarious trees entirely or immediately lop off the dangerous overhanging boughs before someone loses their life.