During this southwest monsoon season, tree fall incidents in Bengaluru have doubled compared to last year, crossing the 1,000 mark, according to data from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) reviewed by The Hindu.
GBA data shows that 1,222 trees were uprooted and 2,585 incidents of tree branch snapping were recorded between May and September this year. In 2024, the city had witnessed 531 uprooted trees and 2,010 snapped branches between April and August, according to the data. There were no tree falls reported in September 2024.
Tragically, three people lost their lives and six were injured this year in accidents caused by falling trees or branches. In separate incidents, three people died after branches fell on them while they were riding scooters, raising serious concerns about the safety of both commuters and pedestrians in the city.
Experts point to rapid urbanisation and its offshoots, such as concretisation and poor urban planning, as major causes behind the loss of green cover. Shifting the blame, officials from the GBA’s Forest Wing and the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) attribute the situation to historical negligence and severe understaffing.
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