, Dec. 24 -- Along the Naogaon bypass road, tall palm trees once stood like silent sentinels-lining the highway, softening the concrete stretch with shade and symmetry, and serving a purpose far beyond aesthetics.

Today, many of those trees bear blunt, shaved tops, their branches cut back abruptly, leaving locals fearful that a decades-old natural shield is slowly being destroyed, locals and environmental activists said.

The cutting of branches from around 750 palm trees by the Northern Electricity Supply Company Limited (NESCO) has sparked anger and concern among residents and environmental activists, who say the work was carried out without consultation and with little regard for environmental consequences.

For years, villagers along...