Bengaluru sees 1000 uprooted trees in 1 week amid heavy rain; Civic body BBMP to sell fallen branches: Report

Bengaluru faces tree uprooting after heavy rain, BBMP considers on-site branch sale to prevent road blockages.

Published on: May 14, 2024, 10:44:36 IST

By Yamini C S

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Bengaluru city experienced heavy rain and gusty winds, resulting in over 1,000 tree getting uprooted across the city between May 6 and 12. Responding to the aftermath, the tech hub's civic agency, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), found itself challenged with the task of promptly clearing the fallen branches, The Times of India reported.

Uprooted trees following heavy rainfall. (PTI/For representational purposes)

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To tackle this issue, a novel approach is being considered: selling the fallen branches on-site instead of transporting them to a forest depot. The primary aim of this initiative is to prevent road blockages and ensure smooth passage for vehicles and pedestrians, the report said.

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BBMP's forest wing officials have approached Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath, seeking approval to conduct public auctions for the trunks, branches, and stumps of the fallen trees directly from where they lie.

In the first fortnight of May, BBMP deployed 39 teams to swiftly address complaints of tree falls, promptly cutting down trunks and branches to facilitate traffic and pedestrian movement, the publication added.

Typically, forest officials gather the fallen branches and trunks roadside for eventual transportation to designated depots or dumping yards. However, given the logistical challenges, particularly when dealing with such a large volume of fallen trees, BBMP is exploring the option of selling them on-site.

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BLG Swamy, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) of BBMP, spoke to the publication and said, “Transporting sawed-off trunks to dumping yards - we have eight such yards in the city - becomes difficult, especially when over 1,000 trees collapse in a week. Hence, the plan to sell them off from the spot.”

Acknowledging the low rate of trunk clearance, another BBMP officer revealed that the agency has deployed eight tractors to address the issue.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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