Tree fall incidents in Bengaluru double this year, cross 1,000 mark: Report
Bengaluru: Tree fall incidents in Bengaluru have doubled compared to last year, crossing the 1,000 mark during this year’s southwest monsoon season, according to data from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).
GBA data, cited by The Hindu, shows that between May and September 2025, 1,222 trees were uprooted and 2,585 incidents of branch snapping were recorded. In comparison, the city reported 531 uprooted trees and 2,010 snapped branches between April and August 2024, with no incidents recorded in September 2024.
Tragically, three people lost their lives and six others were injured this year in accidents caused by falling trees or branches. In separate incidents, the victims, all scooter riders, were fatally struck by falling branches, raising concerns about the safety of commuters and pedestrians in the capital city.
Rapid urbanisation, concretisation, and poor urban planning, have been reported as major causes behind the loss of green cover. However, the GBA’s Forest Wing and the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) cited historical negligence and severe understaffing as major contributing factors.
A GBA official said the forest wing’s manpower shortage has hampered effective tree management. The forest wing currently has nearly 20 officials, including office staff, to manage the entire city. “Tree management is carried out regularly, but covering the whole city with such critical understaffing is impossible,” The Hindu quoted the official as saying.
Similarly, A.N. Yellappa Reddy, former forest secretary and noted silviculturist, said urban tree management is a specialised task that requires trained personnel. However, he noted that the civic body provides no such training, highlighting its negligence.
“We must give equal attention to branch manipulation during root surgery (cutting roots for development works) to maintain the tree’s balance. After surgery, trees should be sprayed with anti-fungal agents, and care should be taken not to damage tissues. However, such practices are rarely followed,” The Hindu quoted Reddy as saying.
Experts say inadequate maintenance has left the city’s trees vulnerable to collapse, particularly during strong winds and heavy rain. Bengaluru’s wind speeds often range between 10 kmph and 40 kmph, occasionally reaching 50 kmph, conditions that can easily uproot weak or imbalanced trees.
They have reportedly urged the civic body to establish mechanisms for citizen participation in monitoring and preserving Bengaluru’s trees, arguing that the absence of public involvement and transparency has led to poor accountability and persistent negligence.
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Two girls injured in separate wolf attacks in UP's Bahraich
Bahraich (UP) (PTI): Two minor girls were injured in separate incidents of wolf attacks in the Bahraich district, forest department officials said on Saturday.
In the first incident on Friday, Anushka Nishad (5), daughter of Baliram from Mallahanpurwa village, was sleeping alone inside her house when a wolf entered and tried to carry her away, they said.
Hearing her screams, family members and villagers rushed to the spot. The wolf left the child, hearing the commotion, and ran towards the fields. The girl sustained minor injuries from the animal's teeth, the officials said.
Divisional Forest Officer Ram Singh Yadav described the attack as deliberate and cleverly planned, as it occurred precisely when Anushka's mother went out for a few moments.
On the same day, Nancy (4), daughter of Kamlesh Yadav, was playing outside her house in Baburi Tola village when a wolf suddenly attacked and dragged her away.
Villagers raised an alarm, and the wolf released the child and ran towards the sugarcane fields. The injured child was sent to the Kaiserganj Community Health Centre for treatment.
Divisional Forest Officer Ram Singh Yadav told reporters that both attacks involved wolves, adding that the entire area is plagued by the animal's activity.
Since September 9, such attacks in the Bahraich district have claimed 10 lives, including eight children and an elderly couple, and injured dozens of people, the officials said.
District Magistrate Akshay Tripathi met the families of the victims on Friday and consoled them.
