Deadly trees, silent palike: BBMP’s tree census delay puts Bengaluru lives at risk

As monsoon showers sweep across Bengaluru, the city’s residents are not just battling waterlogged roads and traffic snarls, they're literally running for their lives under the looming threat of collapsing trees. With strong winds and rains toppling weakened and dead trees, public anxiety has surged over the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) continued neglect of tree safety.

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The core issue stems from an incomplete and poorly managed tree census launched by the BBMP in October 2023. The exercise, meant to identify, document, and manage the city’s vast green cover, including assessing weak or dangerous trees was to be completed by March 2024. However, more than a year since its launch, the census remains unfinished.

Of Bengaluru’s eight administrative zones, only five zones, RR Nagar, Bommanahalli, Yelahanka, South, and East have seen partial progress. Even there, data collection remains incomplete, with only 6 lakh trees identified so far. Shockingly, the BBMP has not released any information on how many of these are structurally weak or hazardous.

The remaining three zones, Dasarahalli, Mahadevapura, and West haven’t seen any tree census activity at all. This inaction has serious consequences: in the past two months alone, over 500 trees have collapsed across the city, resulting in two deaths, three serious injuries, and one person still battling for life.

Citizens and activists are outraged, accusing BBMP of waking up only after tragedy strikes. Trees are removed hurriedly after they fall, but there's little proactive effort to prevent such incidents. The BBMP’s vision of preserving Bengaluru’s “urban forest” rings hollow without basic upkeep and timely intervention.

If the civic body fails to act swiftly, more lives and the city’s green heritage may be at stake.