After the 4th Block Swabhimana Park ‘tree murder’ few months back, now it is the turn of 8th Block Ambedkar Park. In the wee hours of Friday as the wind gradually picked up to a crescendo, while the sun was rising from the horizon, the trees lining the Ambedkar park in Koramangala 8th Block were swaying in motion.
Suddenly, a large crunching sound rends the air as the residents woke up. A huge Banyan tree comes down crashing, one large branch falls inside the park shattering the fence and the other a pretty huge takes rest on the residential buildings alongside the road.
In the process, it snapped the power lines, but luckily no one were injured. Thus a major accident is averted. Since it was early morning there were none on the streets as well as at the park.
Alert residents immediately moved to safer places and blocked the road. Frantic calls are made to BBMP, Forest Department, BESCOM to come and bring the tree down in a safe, orderly manner. After several follow ups by Koramangala 8th Block Residents’ Association Secretary B D Nagaraj and others finally the tree is brought down safely. But thats another story. Why did the tree get uprooted in the first place? Well, that was ‘murder.’
And several such ‘murders’ are happenning all around us. What would happen to a human being if you choke him/her at the neck ? If you bury him/her under concrete or tiles? Thats exactly what was done to this tree. It was completely blocked up leaving no space for it to get water. Also no place for the roots to grow.
When you walk around, do start noticing the number of trees that have been completely tarred over, concretized or tiled over.
Check if the tree is healthy. If it is, probably its roots are able to get water from some source deep under.
Report to the Forect Department at 080-2656 6362. In the meanwhile, be aware of how we choke and kill our trees. Do something if you can. Remember that if they were human, we would be in jail for homicide.
Another ‘Killing of a tree’
