BCC intensifies tree pruning

BCC intensifies tree pruning
Vijay Times

THE Bangalore City Corporation (BCC), it seems, is learning from its mistakes last year .

The mistakes proved to be costly as a few precious lives were lost and public and private properties were extensively damaged.

T alking to B BV VT T , BCC Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) Krishna U dapudi said that this year , the BCC had already swung into action to prevent trees from being uprooted during the monsoon.

U dapudi said that intensive tree pruning had been taken up on major roads in all the 100 wards of the City . Importance was being accorded to those trees in the Southern part of the City , he informed.

So far , two teams, each consisting of 10 gangmen and a supervisor , have been deputed for each zone. The teams, which have been provided with modern equipments and vehicles, will concentrate on pruning trees. The operation is being carried out in the nights, he said. T Tr re ee es s p pr ru un ne ed d "Till date, trees on 11 roads in the South zone, five in the W est and eight in the East, have been pruned. The teams will remo ve those trees that can cause a problem during the monsoon," he said and added that a special meeting had been convened with the officials of the BCC H orticulture Department to expedite the tree pruning exercise. H e also added that the support of the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company would be sought in this regard.

Acknowledging that private and public properties were damaged extensively during the monsoon last year , he said a considerable portion of the damage had been caused by trees.

M Mi in ni im mi is si in ng g l lo os ss s In a bid to minimise losses this year , the BCC had identified several trees that could pose a threat to lives and properties. These trees, he said, would be removed.

Even corporators and ward engineers have identified some trees. People are also helping us in this operation by providing us information about old and dead trees that need to be removed, he said.

Commenting on the report submitted by noted environmentalist Y ellappareddy on tree pruning, he said a majority of the recommendations in the report were wonderful and were proving to be very helpful. The proposals would be implemented to prevent trees from being uprooted in future, he said.

The BCC, with the help of v olunteers, had identified some tr ees which had become old and danger ous .

Listing some of the reasons for trees becoming weak, he said, "Several trees have become weak and are posing a problem as their roots have been disturbed by various utility providers." "Some trees like Gulmohar and Spathodia have a short life span and become weak over a period of time. The BCC has planned to plant some indigenous plants like Pongemia, Neem, Sissoo, Cassias and Sampige as they are strong and short in stature," he added.

T rees in six wards have been surveyed, he said and added that Environment Support, a voluntary organisation, had been doing a commendable job in terms of numbering trees. The members of the organisation were working actively at Malleswaram and Srinagar , he added.

He regretted that despite their best efforts to minimise loss of lives, two persons, including a six-yearold boy , had died last week after a tree crashed on them in J C Nagar . The duo had taken shelter under it.