A line of trees whose trunks are covered partly by pavement and partly by asphalt in Vijayanagar.
Credit: DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V
A majority of avenue trees in Bengaluru face a similar fate. The base of the trunks are choked by concrete or cement, which ecologists say is not only detrimental to the health of the tree but also a safety hazard.
The matter was brought into focus again when an X user, @ravikeerthi22, replying to an image of workers cementing the base of a tree on Bull Temple Road, wrote “This is how you kill a tree? What is the need of concreting the base of a tree? The tree should have a breathing space to survive !! (sic)”
BBMP chief commissioner, Maheshwar Rao, shared that he has ‘taken stock’ of the problem. “This is a major problem across the city and we plan to rectify it. We are in talks with the forest department,” Rao told Metrolife.
B L G Swamy, deputy conservator of forests, said that they plan to decongest the trees by removing cement, concrete or tiles within a circumference of one foot from the trunk. “We cannot say exactly when, but we hope to complete it before the end of the next financial year,” he said.
Tree manual soon
Unscientific paving of the area around the trunk disrupts nutrient absorption and water seepage, noted Malini Shankar, a tree warden and environmental journalist. Sometimes, the roots crack open the concrete as they grow. The uneven footpaths are a safety hazard for pedestrians.
Often, the choked trunks are the reason for trees prematurely falling during heavy rains. “The canopy looks intact, but the roots are weak because they are choked,” said Vijay Nishanth, a citizen activist who has been campaigning to protect the tree cover in Bengaluru.
Nishanth has handed over a detailed set of guidelines to the BBMP covering topics like disease management, canopy management, and deterioration. “They are currently in the process of formulating a tree manual based on my recommendations,” he shared. The BBMP has to be mindful of the contractors they employ for redoing pavements and footpaths, he pointed out. “They should be penalised if they do not follow the guidelines,” he added.
He also noted that cementing the bases is just one problem. Pruning and drainage lanes are some of the other problem areas that need to be examined.