Hyderabad: The strong winds which accompanied heavy rainfall on Saturday night and similar weather a week earlier held lessons in urban forestry for the GHMC.
The extreme weather uprooted nearly 500 trees in the city a majority of which belonged to two species, Pelto phorum known as yellow flame tree or konda chinta and Delonix regia known popularly as Gulmohar.
The two tree types are non-native species. According to a GHMC official the reason behind planting these two trees indiscriminately across the city was that they add to the aesthetics of the city.
Environmentalists argue these tree species do not need much care, grow large quickly and offer thick canopy cover in less time, making it easier for officials to claim increased green cover in city without hard work.
However, the two tree species were a disaster waiting to happen as their timber is very brittle and they have shallow roots. A slight gush of wind causes big branches to break off or the trees getting completely uprooted.
GHMC still plans to plant at least Pelto phorum and Gulmohar to the extent of at least 5-10% of the 81 lakh saplings to be planted this year in Hyderabad as part of Telangana ku Haritha Haaram.
An official from social forestry department of Telangana Forest Department said, “We have stopped planting the two species and are focusing more on native strong species like neem, sissoo, mahogany, peepal and banyan.”
Jeevanand Reddy, an environmentalist, said, “Trees in Hyderabad are not pruned scientifically. They are chopped in a haphazard manner by power department employees resulting in asymmetrical growth. Because of this, they easily get uprooted.”
He said native tree species should be planted in the centre of the road, and not on the side as is being done. “Even if the tree falls it will not cause much damage,” he said.
