Had Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) followed the footsteps of Lalbagh Horticulture Department and conducted “tree surgery,” hundreds of diseased tree branches that are being axed, could have been saved in the City.
BBMP has taken up a drive to cut all diseased branches of trees across the City, after a person lost his life when tree branch fell on an auto on Queen’s Road on Saturday. But, BBMP could have saved these precious green cover by conducting the tree surgery, officials sources said.
Lal Bagh Horticulture Department has saved nearly 150 diseased trees by conducting the surgery at Lalbagh and Cubbon Park. It has a team of experts to conduct the surgery. In fact, the department had offered its help to BBMP four years ago. But the civic body apparently did not show any interest. “I have not received any communication in this regard so far,” Horticulture Department Director G K Vasanth Kumar, whose brain child is the tree surgery, said.
Under the tree surgery, the diseased portion of the tree will be treated using pesticides. If the portion has become hollow, it will be stuffed with either concrete or some other materials so that it does not fall. Besides, the experts prune the diseased tree scientifically, Mr Vasanth Kumar said.
According to the experts, unscientific pruning will lead to imbalance and the tree may fall. “Hence, pruning should always be done carefully,” experts said.
However, BBMP Deputy Conservator of Forest Krishna Udapudi said gangmen, who are pruning trees, are trained in their job and pruning is being done scientifically.
“These gangmen have been doing this job for over two years now and they have sufficient experience to prune trees properly,” he added.