LG orders survey of tree damage, directs officials to ensure upkeep

Alok K N Mishra & Jasjeev Gandhiok

NEW DELHI: A day after an intense thunderstorm uprooted hundreds of trees and caused large-scale damage to vehicles and other private and public property in the Capital, newly appointed lieutenant governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday asked officials to carry out a detailed review to understand the reason behind such a large number of trees falling during the storm.

The LG also directed officials to de-concretise a one metre radius around tree bases, conduct necessary pruning, and identify and trim weak branches of trees, especially those hanging over the roads, so that the damage is not repeated.

“I share the concern of every resident of Delhi about the maintenance and upkeep of trees in the city and their related uprooting and breakage that happens in the event of a storm, throwing the city traffic out of gear. Let me assure you that we have taken the matter seriously and will address it at the earliest,” the LG said in a tweet.

The LG instructed civic bodies

to identify the trees which have weakened roots due to concretisation of pavements and take necessary steps to improve the health of such trees.

“Even as experts blamed concretisation around tree bases and unscientific approach towards maintaining the green cover, the LG had, right on the first day in office on Thursday, directed officials to scientifically prune trees above 45 feet of height and 10 feet above the surface. The LG had underlined that research worldwide and empirical evidence all across showed that such pruning not only strengthens the trees and make them healthier but also prevents their natural drying up,” said an official from the LG office.

Faiyaz Khudsar, scientist in-charge at the Yamuna Biodiversity Park (YBP), said in cases where older trees fall during a storm, often it is because the root system is unable to penetrate too deep to support the heavier top canopy. “This is why deconcretisation is important as trees on central verges or medians are often choked and if the base is weak, the top will not receive the support it needs. We have seen this with several older trees,” he said.