2 days ago
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In the airy of wide uprooting of trees successful Bengaluru during dense rains this season, the Indian Wood Science and Technology (IWST) has projected conducting science-based Visual Tree Assessments (VTA) and non-invasive diagnostics to bounds further harm and guarantee nationalist safety, according to documents accessed by The Hindu.
The VTA is simply a commonly utilized method for assessing the wellness and information of trees.
G.K. Sudarshan, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), told The Hindu that the connection has been processed and would soon beryllium presented to the 5 corporations.
Phased removal
If implemented, this volition beryllium the first-ever effort by Bengaluru’s civic bodies to negociate trees done a technological approach. The workout volition besides facilitate the phased removal of susceptible histrion taxon successful a time-bound mode and beforehand the planting of autochthonal taxon that tin amended withstand dense rains and storms.
According to GBA data, 949 trees person been uprooted successful the metropolis successful 2026, adjacent earlier the monsoon has acceptable in. In comparison, 1,222 trees were uprooted successful 2025, portion 531 trees fell successful 2024. While the inclination indicates an upward trajectory, the standard of demolition is important erstwhile viewed collectively.
The Hindu has earlier reported that ageing ornamental and softwood trees were liable for the large-scale uprooting witnessed crossed the city. Most of these trees were planted astatine slightest 3 decades agone and present necessitate reassessment. Citing the aforesaid concerns, the IWST, a Central authorities organisation, has projected the workout “Management of Trees successful Urban Landscapes: A Science-Based Risk Assessment and Capacity Building Framework for Bengaluru City Corporations”, according to the documents accessed by The Hindu.
Non-invasive diagnostics
Under the projected study, the IWST volition undertake a VTA of 300 prioritised roadside trees successful each corporation. Trees identified arsenic posing a mean oregon high-risk volition subsequently acquisition confirmatory non-invasive diagnostics utilizing precocious tools specified arsenic a resistograph, sonic tomography, electrical absorption tomography, and histrion question sensors.
The survey is expected to effect successful ward-wise geo-tagged histrion hazard registers, species-specific nonaccomplishment hazard analyses, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for technological histrion management.
A cardinal constituent of the connection is capableness gathering wrong the corporations. About 10 to 15 in-house unit members from each corp volition beryllium trained successful basal VTA techniques. This volition alteration civic bodies to marque defensible and legally auditable decisions regarding histrion retention, pruning, oregon removal portion balancing municipality histrion conservation objectives.
The connection follows a tract survey conducted by the IWST connected 454 thoroughfare trees successful Malleswaram, according to the document. “The survey revealed that 223 trees, oregon 49.1%, were unhealthy and exhibited structural defects. The bulk of these are exotic ornamental taxon specified arsenic Gulmohar, Copper Pod, African Tulip, and Rain Tree, which person a lifespan of 30 to 50 years and person mostly exceeded this period, rendering them susceptible to upwind and rain,” the connection noted.
Budgetary allocation
The fund required for the survey of the full metropolis is ₹4.4 crore. This means each civic assemblage would person to walk a fund ranging betwixt ₹70 Lakh and ₹1 crore.
