A breeze can knock over these fancy trees

A breeze can knock over these fancy trees
Vijay Times

Bangalore: May 11, 1999: A Microsoft employee on a visit to the City dies when a tree falls on an autorickshaw ferrying him on Airport Road.

April 2003: A taxi-driver is crushed to death on Malleswaram 9th Cross under a termite-ridden tree uprooted during a thunderstorm.

March 7, 2006: A 19-year-old student from Maharani’s College dies when a tree falls on her in the college premises.

In a classic irony, greenery in Bangalore has become a major threat to its citizens.

Of all the platitudes showcasing Bangalore, a more apt addition would be ‘Watch your head...beware of falling trees/branches!’ The City, popularly called the ‘Garden City’, boasts of over 15 lakh full-grown trees and two lakh lining roads and pathways of inner areas and are potentially dangerous to the human lives and vehicles. Experts say the tendency among town planners to plant ornamental trees to provide an aesthetic appearance to the City is to be blamed.

Ornamental trees have weaker stems than local varieties and are prone to termite attacks, which render their trunks hollow, besides weakening their roots, say experts from Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST) and Arboriculture Association of India (AAI). Experts at IWST say lack of planning during sowing trees along City roads is another cause.

Rain tree and gulmohur, jacaranda, 10 varieties of tabobia (a small tree with attractive flowering during spring), 10 varieties of cassias, 10 varieties of bohunia and false Ashoka trees are the ornamental trees visible in Bangalore.

The social forestry cell of the forest department attribute this to a blind imitation of the British practice to plant ornamental trees.

Two British officers, Camaron in 1900, and Krumbegal in 1950, brought saplings of such trees to the City from European countries.

AAI secretary S Narayanaswamy says ornamental trees become weak due to space constraint. But the forest officials say they are helpless.

There is also a plan to encourage planting local trees such as Pongamia pinnata (honge), champaka, Singapore cherry, saraka asoka (original Ashoka tree), tabobia and bohunia species. However, the department is against felling or replacement of existing trees.

Where to keep your eyes open: Sampige Road in Malleswaram, trees on Race Course Road, trees connecting KR Circle, V V Puram, South-End Circle connecting JP Nagar, Richmond Town and Ulsoor (around Coles Park, Richard Town and Murphy Town).