Delhi is fast losing its green cover due to rapid urbanisation, and the mere lack of coordination between the Government and civic agencies is only making the situation worse.
With overgrown trees posing threat to life and public property, adequate pruning has turned out to be the need-of-the-hour. However, the concerned authorities claim that they had not received requisite approval from the Forest Department for their timely pruning.
Many trees in the Capital are prone to being uprooted owing to ill-maintenance. Reports from civic bodies suggest an average of 150 tree falling cases in the Capital during the monsoon season alone.
"The highest cases are registered during August and September. This year because of early monsoon, frequent cases of tree falling started being registered from June-end," said a senior official of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC). These agencies, however, target planting nearly 3,000 trees every year.
While the residents are peeved with trees stooping over their streets and houses, commuters also have to face much inconvenience due to their falling on arterial roads, which in turn causes traffic jams. "Not all the trees are pruned regularly. Some have gone completely out of shape. Four houses from here, there's a tree whose roots have engulfed the boundary wall of our block. This has led to cracks in the wall and it can fall anytime," said Abanti Sharma, a resident of Vasant Kunj, D Block.
Meanwhile, these ever-growing trees also create obstruction for commuters as the street lights are covered by their foliage. "The trees have extended their crown and it is spreading haphazardly. The streets receive little light as the branches obstruct them. We have complained to the local councillor many times, but no step has been taken. Roads near Jhang and Aman societies in Prashant Vihar, Sector 9, are some examples," said Arun Bajpayee, a resident of the area. Even in lutyens' Delhi, the traffic lights at some avenues are not visible due to irregular extension of the branches of trees, causing great inconvenience to motorists.
The civic agencies, however, are busy passing the buck. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) as well as the three Municipal Corporations claimed that they are unable to carry out deep pruning as the Forest Department does not permit it. "We carry out regular pruning drives. But, we are allowed to trim them only upto a maximum of seven centimeters. Beyond that, we need the Forest Department's permission, which rarely allows," said HK Pachauri, Director Horticulture NDMC.
"The crown of the trees needs to be in proper shape or else the entire tree may fall. Several trees standing tall on the central verge of the road or pavement are swept away by the gust of wind. Also, due to heavy rain, the soil around the roots of the trees loosens its grip and it is unable to bear the weight of the overgrown tree (in the absence of regular pruning) and it falls," said a senior official of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC).
On the other hand, the Forest Department claims that it never denied permission for pruning. "We have always allowed the civic agencies to prune the trees. If they are not able to prune appropriately, then it is not our fault. We have allowed DMRC to cut trees as well, then why would we deny pruningIJ" said AK Shukla, Chief Conservator, Forest Department.