Fall season: BBMP gets 20 tree crash calls a day

Since heavy rains set in Bengaluru this month, BBMP’s 24/7 toll-free helpline number 1533 has been receiving 20-25 daily calls about fallen or at-risk trees and branches.

“This month, we have cleared nearly 500 fallen trees and 1,000 broken or dangling branches from across the city,” says B L G Swamy, BBMP deputy conservator of forests, while admitting that rains come in the way of the removal work.

In April, BBMP’s Tree Canopy Team and Rapid Response Team removed 80 dangerous trees and 175 hazardous branches based on citizen alerts. Most reports came from the south, west, and east zones and concern older trees. “Young trees, 5-6 years, get affected too, because of road or pipeline work,” he says.

What happens after removal

Trees in public spaces come under BBMP’s jurisdiction. The collected wood is auctioned online via mstcecommerce.com.

Auction frequency increases during the rains as often entire trees collapse. “This season, we are holding fortnightly auctions. In drier months, we wait until 30-50 tonnes of branches accumulate,” says Swamy.

Most of the auctioned wood is used industrially — by compressing into briquettes, a smokeless fuel made by compressing wood.

Trees in Lalbagh and Cubbon Park are managed by the horticulture department. Most of the wood from the recently collapsed 150-year-old ficus in Lalbagh will be auctioned; a few logs will be turned into carvings and displayed at their Open Air Wood Museum behind the Glass House, which is accessible from the Double Road Gate.

“If the timber is of good quality — mahogany, rosewood, teakwood, mango, or eucalyptus — we use it for carvings,” says M Jagadeesh, joint director of horticulture, Lalbagh. The museum showcases both abstract and figurative works, including Buddhas, crocodiles, cityscapes, and the silkworm life cycle.

A few years ago, after two massive trees at Lalbagh fell and yielded 49 logs, the authorities hosted a national wood carving workshop with artists from across India and consulted scientists to treat the wood against cracking and pests.

At Cubbon Park, timber is auctioned, carved, or composted based on quality. “We hold physical auctions after getting an estimate of per-tonne price from the forest department. Softwood is sold as fuel; hardwoods, usually fewer in number, are reused as packaging material like carton boxes,” says Kusuma G, deputy director of horticulture, Cubbon Park. The last auction was held a month ago.

Signs of tree instability

BBMP’s B L G Swamy urges citizens to look out for visible trunk damage (often due to disease), excessive swaying in wind, exposed roots, or a noticeable tilt at the base. He also advises reporting trees located near electric poles or transformers, especially during rains. Call 1533 for tree-related complaints.