At least 14 trees uprooted, experts blame lack of care in Delhi

Fallen trees blocked both Amrita Shergill Marg and Bhisham Pitamah Marg, leading to temporary road closures

At least 14 trees were reportedly uprooted across the city following “very heavy” rainfall on Saturday even as some of the fallen trees led to road closures and subsequent traffic snarls in Delhi. Officials said that civic agencies were pressed to promptly remove the trees and branches and clear the stretches in a matter of hours.

An uprooted tree near Lodhi Road after heavy rainfall in New Delhi on Saturday. (HT PHOTO)

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) said its central control room received 11 complaints of broken branches and five fallen trees complaints, which were then handled by its horticulture department. The complaints came from areas like Jam Nagar House, Krishna Menon Marg, Gole Dak Khana, C Hexagon (India Gate), Amrita Shergill Marg, and Jantar Mantar Road among others.

The Delhi Traffic Police, meanwhile, said there were at least seven instances of trees being uprooted across the city. Fallen trees blocked both Amrita Shergill Marg and Bhisham Pitamah Marg, leading to temporary road closures, they said.

“Traffic is affected on Bhisham Pitamah Marg in the carriageway from Lodhi Road towards Kotla due to uprooting of a tree in front of Gate No.1, JLN stadium. Kindly avoid the stretch,” the traffic police tweeted on Saturday evening.

Other instances of fallen trees included near the Chandgi Ram Akhada in Civil Lines, DDU Marg, the Dhirpur main road, and Mother Teresa Crescent.

“Trees were removed along footpaths and central verges and the traffic movement was managed in best possible manner,” the Delhi Traffic Police said in a statement on Saturday, adding that some operations to remove trees were still ongoing and involved multiple agencies.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi meanwhile reported three complaints of fallen trees, which came from Kalkaji, Safdarjung Development Area, and Sunlight colony in Kilokari.

Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmental activist said fallen trees were a fairly common sight in Delhi every time it rains.

“The main cause is concretisation around the base of the tree which weakens its roots over time and the tree becomes prone to falling. This happens to fully mature trees too,” said Kandhari, adding that despite clear rules to prevent concretisation around trees agencies continue to flout norms.