Keep away from trees, BMP hoardings will warn you

Keep away from trees, BMP hoardings will warn you
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Stay away from trees when it rains. That’s what the BMP is going to tell you soon, and that’s their way of protecting you and your vehicles from damage.

The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike is all set to respond to the monsoon crisis in an ‘‘innovative’’ manner to address the problem of trees falling on cars and citizens. It will soon display hoardings in the city asking citizens to stay away from trees on rainy days.

If the trees are that dangerous why doesn’t the civic body remove them instead of putting up hoardings, you might well ask.

The BMP is apparently going slow on trimming trees fearing a backlash from green activists.

BMP tree officer Krishna Udupudi told this paper that the trees needed a new way of managing. ‘‘There is a lot of difference betrween managing urban forests and a jungle. Trees in the city should complement the built environment not contradict it. Branches extending over the driveway must be cut and dead and weak trees must be removed,’’ he said.

Not accounting for the trees on private land, the city has about three lakh trees on public spaces and that is a dangerous lot when rains are accompanied by gusty winds.

Tree species include gulmohar, akash mallige, silver oak and spathodia and they have deep roots. But the digging for building foundations, and BWSSB and BSNL services damages roots making the these trees weak, said Udupudi.

‘‘What we need now is to replace these trees with species that have a surface root system. That would give the city its green cover without posing any dangers,’’ he said.

The BMP has already started trimming trees in three zones and special equipment has been procured to trim tall trees. Gradually dangerous species will be removed and trees like pongemia, hole dasawala, neem and cassias will be planted.

‘‘The civic body will take a decision in consultation with the NGOs and ecology activists,’’ Udupudi added.