Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has directed officials to launch an urgent campaign to identify and trim dangerous trees across the state. This comes as heavy rain and wind toppled trees and branches across Bengaluru, leading to injuries and fatalities.
Speaking at a tree protection event near Bengaluru Cantonment, where he helped remove concrete encroachments around roadside trees, the minister said, “Tree roots are weakening due to slabs, tiles and cement being placed around them. This has to stop.”
Khandre reiterated that all urban local bodies, highway authorities, horticulture department and social forestry divisions must act immediately to remove concrete and asphalt around trees, as already directed in a government order.
Khandre also expressed sorrow over the recent death of 29-year-old Akshay Shivaram, who suffered fatal skull injuries after a tree branch fell on him while riding a scooter.
Akshay, an HR executive who had been battling for life after a tree branch fell on his head on June 15 while he was riding his scooter, died on Thursday, police officials confirmed. The incident occurred near Brahma Chaitanya Temple in Hanumanthnagar, in South Bengaluru.
Akshay had suffered severe injuries to his skull and brain and was admitted to a private hospital in Jayanagar. He had slipped into a coma shortly after. “We were informed of the death at about 1 pm,” said a Jayanagar police official.
Last month, in a similar accident, a man died and another was seriously injured after a tree fell on them while they were riding a bike in Bengaluru’s Koramangala area on May 21. The incident occurred at around 2.45 pm, during a spell of strong winds.
Khandre said Tree Authority meetings must be conducted regularly, and vulnerable trees should be identified and attended to without delay.
Experts say many trees are hollow or have shallow roots due to years of improper planting practices and water blockage. The National Green Tribunal has also ruled that concrete around tree trunks must be removed.
Moving forward, the minister said, at least a one-metre radius of soil must be left open around every tree planted along the roadside to ensure root access to water.
Criticising the increasing tendency to remove trees in the name of cleanliness or aesthetics, Khandre said: “Everyone needs oxygen, but not everyone wants a tree in front of their house.” He urged the public not to cut trees illegally or pave over their roots.
He ended with a Sanskrit quote: Vriksho Rakshati Rakshitah – “The one who protects trees is protected by them.”
ENCROACHMENTS WORTH RS 4,000 CRORE CLEARED
The Minister also revealed that of the 2,041 acres of forest land encroached in Bengaluru Urban district, 128 acres, worth nearly Rs 4,000 crore, have been recovered over the past two years. He personally inspected the pruning and clearance work being undertaken across the city.
Once called a Garden City, Bengaluru must reclaim its green legacy, he said, calling for collective action to protect the city’s rapidly shrinking tree cover.
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