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.
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.
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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.