Rain havoc: Clearing continues, but footpaths remain obstructed after storm in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The sudden thunderstorm that resulted in 11cm of rain for over an hour on Wednesday brought down hundreds of trees across the city. Even as authorities have been removing fallen trees and branches, city roads and footpaths are not yet free of large trees and branches.According to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), 476 trees and 1,171 branches fell between April 29 and May 3. Of these, officials claim 444 trees and 1,090 branches have been cleared. However, the presence of chopped trunks and piles of branches on footpaths across the city suggests the work is far from complete.Authorities said their immediate priority was to restore vehicular movement by clearing main roads, with removal of debris from footpaths to follow. In Malleswaram, residents pointed to a large branch hanging dangerously from a tree, posing risk to passers-by. On 8th Main Road, a fallen tree has been cut, but its trunk and branches remain stacked across a newly-constructed footpath. "This is blocking the entrance to an apartment complex and a bank. Many children, college students and senior citizens use this footpath and are now forced to walk on the road," said a resident.On BP Wadia Road in Basavanagudi, large tree trunks remain uncleared. The fall has also damaged the railings along the footpaths. GBA deputy conservator of forests Sudarshan GK said 30 teams, including GBA rapid response teams and private contractors, have been deployed across the five city corporations to clear the fallen trees. "We had 28 teams for tree canopy management and were in the process of expanding to 66 teams when the thunderstorms hit," he said.Officials also acknowledged that staff shortage has slowed down their response. A senior official said without assistance from other departments, the situation would have taken much longer to manage. Engineering and solid waste management staff, along with police, fire services and NGOs, were pressed into service. "Otherwise, it could have taken 20-25 days to clear all the trees," the official added.Most of the fallen trees were live, mature species such as Copperpod, Gulmohar, and Dalichandra, which have relatively weaker root systems. Officials said construction activity over the years may have damaged their lateral roots, reducing stability.Going forward, GBA plans to prioritise native, slow-growing species like Honge, Mahogany, and Mimusops (Ranje), which are believed to have stronger roots and better resilience to extreme weather.Traffic police list 404 dangerous treesIn a letter to GBA, the joint commissioner of police (traffic), Karthik Reddy, shared the list of 404 trees and branches across the city to be cut, along with location and photos, and the city corporation concerned, requesting immediate action.
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