New Delhi, Robust winds that accompanied the rain early Friday uprooted between 100 and 200 bushes throughout the nationwide capital, sparking a contemporary concern amongst environmentalists over unchecked city improvement.
Cementing destiny: Over 100 bushes uprooted in Delhi storm, specialists flag civic neglect
As heavy rain lashed the town, the Municipal Company of Delhi acquired 53 complaints of fallen bushes, the New Delhi Municipal Council 24 such incidents, whereas the Public Works Division reported getting at the least 200 complaints of uprooting of bushes/branches.
Studies proceed to return in from completely different components of the town.
Consultants blame a rampant concretisation of the tree bases for the bushes’ fragility.
“The cement around the base of a tree causes the tree to fall. It blocks water and air from reaching the roots and prevents the trunk from expanding,” mentioned Verhaen Khanna, a Delhi-based environmentalist.
“During monsoon, tree trunks need to expand due to increased moisture, but cement chokes them. The roots weaken, making the tree lose balance. If digging nearby cuts roots, the risk of collapse increases,” he mentioned.
Khanna additionally criticised civic our bodies for dashing to chop and take away fallen bushes as a substitute of making an attempt to revive them. “Authorities have the resources to save these trees but lack the will. With a bit of friendly persuasion and example-setting, officials can be convinced — and success rates are high when they act,” he mentioned.
Inexperienced activist Bhavreen Kandhari blamed years of negligence for the ecocide.
“One of the primary causes is the rampant concretisation around tree bases, which restricts vital feeder root growth and weakens anchorage. Construction-related soil compaction, repeated digging, and aging root systems worsen the problem,” she mentioned.
Kandhari additionally highlighted {that a} 2013 order by the Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal had directed all authorities to take away concrete from one metre radius round bushes — a directive that continues to be poorly enforced.
“Unless the government integrates tree health into its urban planning and enforces existing regulations, these incidents will only rise,” she warned.