Delhi Diary: Falling Trees Cause Many Fatalities In India

By Shakir Husain Bernama’s correspondent in New Delhi shares his take from the Indian capital NEW DELHI, July 24 (Bernama) -- A woman journalist out for a routine walk in Mumbai died after a palm tree fell on her. The incident last week was captured on a closed-circuit TV camera. A video posted online showed people rushing to help the woman, identified as a 58-year-old former anchor of state television. Whereas her death was reported in the media, many victims of falling trees, die without their deaths being recorded by police or reported by the press. Apart from the freakish nature of deaths in tree falls, the twin issues of the environment and development come to mind. In India, it's not easy to get rid of trees even if they are deemed unsafe. Approval of top authorities or courts may be required for felling trees for public works or real estate developments. Contractors involved in infrastructure projects often face the arduous task of obtaining various environmental permits. The tree that killed the woman in Mumbai has a story about it. But before that here are some unusual cases of deaths caused by falling trees. Two people were killed when a tree fell on a train on the outskirts of Moradabad city in Uttar Pradesh. The tree hit the passengers at the door of the coach they were traveling in. One man traveling in an autorickshaw died at a traffic signal in New Delhi when a tree fell on a sunny day with no strong wind. The autorickshaw driver escaped unhurt. In Thane, near Mumbai, a 39-year-old man died after a tree fell on him while he was riding a bike. There is no dearth of stories of traffic disruptions or people getting injured due to falling trees. Following the Mumbai journalist's death, it has been found that an application was made by someone in February this year to cut the tree that killed her. Municipal authorities had inspected the tree and adjudged it to be safe. When it comes to trees, people in India have a strong pro-environment sentiment. It would be so much nicer if such concerns extended to the overall environmental degradation in the country, including water pollution and industrial waste. Sticking to the issue of trees, India does have strong legal safeguards in this regard. Trees can only be felled if they pose a threat to life or property. You may see trees in Indian cities that are clearly a nuisance for traffic and pose a risk to safe driving but it would be difficult to get rid of them. There's no dispute about the benefits of trees in an urban environment, but the green infrastructure needs constant care and nurturing through necessary labor and financial investment. Municipal authorities often pay scant attention to the pruning of trees and their upkeep. According to a news report, about 200 trees were uprooted within four days due to heavy rains in Mumbai recently. Obviously, there is a need to get to the root of the problem of weak trees in an urban setting. -- BERNAMA