Missing the woods for the trees

Serious Problem

Regardless of what the weather man says, it’s not going to be too long before the monsoons hit the City. And everybody knows what that means.

The rains bring with it not only the worst traffic jams and clogged drains but also the dangerous incidence of trees falling on the road, which often result in injuries or even death for those unfortunate enough to be standing under them.

As is done every year, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been
going about doing their best to reduce the potential hazards posed by the trees during monsoons.

“There are 14 teams working round the clock — nine in the day and five at night. They are assigned to remove fallen trees. For this operation, they usually act upon a call from a citizen complaining about a tree that is disrupting traffic somewhere. Our aim is to clear the roads and make way for people and vehicles as soon as possible. At other times, these groups do the rounds of the eight zones trimming branches, cutting dead branches and identifying weak trees,” informs P P Chandrashekar, deputy conservator of forests.

“There are two tree officers in charge of issuing the felling license as well as citizen helplines that are directly connected to the control rooms of each zone,” he adds.
  
But Meghana S Belavadi, a student of Seshadripuram College, feels that there is more work to be done by the authorities. 

“We’ve been witnessing a number of mishaps during the monsoon all these years.

The BBMP should take necessary measures and initiatives to crop the branches above electric wires and uproot weak trees, which might cause trouble. They also need to clear the twigs and dry leaves which might block the gutter so that the City can experience a safe monsoon,” she says.

It is also a shame to experience such problems when it comes to Bangalore, a city that has always been known for its good weather.

“We brag about the rains on social media every time it pours, ensuring that the rest of the nation feels jealous.

But what they don’t know is what we wake up to the morning after — dozens of stories about untoward incidents involving fallen trees and branches that maim people, animals and vehicles alike,” says Nikhil Jois, a young professional.

“As with any other issue, prevention is better than cure in this case as well. It would be great if the BBMP took cognisance of this fact and took preventive measures before these unpleasant incidents took place.

Bangalore would be truly grateful,” he concludes.