Trim 300 trees for warkaris safety, says police chief

Police commissioner Gulabrao Pol has instructed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to trim some 300 trees to ensure that their dangerous branches do not cause any problem to the warkaris when they rest under those trees during the palkhi procession.
The Sant Tukaram Maharaj palkhi will reach the city on July 1. There were reports in the past that warkaris were injured due to branches falling on them. Pol has given a list to PMC’s garden department to trim some 300 trees which are on the palkhi route.
Pol said, “To avoid any untoward incident, we have taken precautionary measures this year. It’s our responsibility to take care that the warkaris do not get hurt.”
PMC’s garden department superintendent Ashok Ghorpade said, “We have got a list of 300 trees from the police commissioner and we are inspecting such trees and trimming them as well. Most of the trees are Ashoka and banyan trees and other trees in the peth areas on the palkhi routes, temples, and the places where warkaris reside during their journey.”

Mobile control room set up
The Pune rural police has also set up a mobile control room, which will accompany the Tukaram Maharaj and Dnyaneshwar Maharaj palkhis till the processions move out of the district. Deputy superintendent of police (Khed division) Bharat Patil said, “We have deployed a special police sub- inspector along with five policemen. They will go with the palkhi till it crosses the district boundary. To avoid hefts and molestation incidents, we have formed this special control room.”