Authorities scramble to clear trees brought down by rain in Bengaluru

A few days ago, a huge tree fell on the metro line near Trinity metro station, leading to disruption in service. As Bengaluru continues to deal with the aftermath of the heavy rains, the focus remains on swift removal of debris and long-term strategies to prevent such incidents in the future.

Bengaluru has been receiving rainfall accompanied by gusty winds resulting in a significant number of large trees falling on roads, disrupting traffic and resulting in loss of biodiversity. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been working to clear the debris, but the sheer volume of fallen trees has led to delays, with some areas taking up to four days to clear.

Kavita Anand, a teacher at a playschool near Jayanagar metro station, said, “Despite repeated complaints, the response was slow. This has caused a major problem, as we now have to take longer routes to avoid traffic jams, which have become common in the area.”

Sudarshan Yadav from J.P. Nagar said that a tree that had fallen in his area was cleared after four days. “The entire road was blocked for four days,” he said.

Residents are also complaining of power outages, caused by trees falling on electricity lines. In homes having patients, some are forced to rush to hospitals for oxygen assistance during power outages.

A few days ago, a huge tree fell on the metro line near Trinity metro station, leading to disruption in service.

As Bengaluru continues to deal with the aftermath of the heavy rains, the focus remains on swift removal of debris and long-term strategies to prevent such incidents in the future.

Minister for Forest, Ecology, and Environment Eshwar Khandre said initial reports indicated most of the uprooted trees were exotic species. “Due to concretisation of pavements, rainwater isn’t seeping into the soil, causing moisture stress in summer, leading to root decay. Native tree species, adapted to local conditions, survive better. Therefore, we must plant local species,” he said.