Karnataka - Bangalore   

A fall from grace

Swathi Shivanand

BANGALORE: Every time it rains, several stately foliages that adorn our roadsides collapse and keel over.

Trees — Bangalore's living heritage — are victims of apathy.

Unscientific pruning of trees is the primary reason for their "downfall," aver environmentalists. "Indiscriminate lopping of the trees creates a canopy imbalance. These trees fall whenever there is the slightest wind," says A.N. Yellappa Reddy, former Environment Secretary to the Government.

Pruning trees

Trees are hurt when they are pruned and become susceptible to fungal attacks. Even rainwater can lead to the rotting of the tree.

"It is imperative to apply fungicide to prevent the spread of diseases. But this almost never happens," says Mr. Reddy.

S.G. Neghinal, environmentalist and former Deputy Conservator of Forests, says that the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike authorities are to blame as they do not leave space for the roots while laying the footpaths.

"They lay concrete right up to the base of the trunk," he says, pointing out that this neither allows for seepage of water nor does it allow the roots to breathe.

"During road widening, the authorities cut off the side roots which anchor the tree to the ground, making it unstable," says Mr. Neghinal. During summer, the civic authorities bunch dried leaves together and burn them against the trunk, thereby making the tree hollow, he adds.

Mechanism

Is there a mechanism to ensure that scientific pruning is done? Sadly no. The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company, which regularly chops branches, has been given blanket permission to do so whenever it finds it necessary, says Krishna Udupudi, Deputy Conservator of Forests, BBMP.

While Mr. Udupudi says that the pruning is done under the scrutiny of BBMP officials, he replies in the negative when asked if the BBMP ensures that fungicide is applied.

Incidentally, Mr. Yellappa Reddy had submitted a report two years ago to the civic body about the manner in which trees must be pruned or cut, which is lying in cold storage.

"The report, among other things, recommends training for people who cut trees and usage of scientific tools for the cutting," says Mr. Reddy.

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