Tree falls on motorcycle, crushes man to death: Why do trees fall in Delhi?
On Thursday, a man was crushed to death after a tree fell on a motorcycle during heavy rain in Delhi.
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Work underway to remove an uprooted tree which fell on a motorcycle amid rainfall, in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji area, on Thursday. (PTI Photo)Whenever Delhi witnesses heavy rainfall, reports of waterlogging and traffic are accompanied by photographs of old and grand trees falling. On Thursday, as one such tree fell, it crushed a man and his daughter who were passing by in a motorcycle. The man later died at a hospital.
A 50-year-old man was killed and his daughter injured after a huge tree fell on their motorcycle in Southeast Delhi’s Kalkaji during heavy rain on Thursday morning, police said.https://t.co/VUy9Bas4KI pic.twitter.com/It7TYoJtYV
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In all, 11 trees fell on Thursday, an official report by the civic agencies in Delhi said.
The reasons
# Concrete around the bases of trees – usually placed during road or pavement construction – weakens tree roots. If the trees are old and have heavy branches, they eventually weaken and fall.
Delhi is the greenest metropolitan city in the country. For context, it has 147 sq km of tree cover that falls outside forest areas. This is around 9.8% of Delhi’s geographical area as per the India State of Forest Report 2023.
# Poor or irregular pruning leads to a top-heavy tree, especially when the root system is damaged or constricted.
Under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994, any tree whose trunk is at least 5-cm thick and which is at least 1-m tall is classified as protected. After a Delhi High Court order of 2023, pruning top-heavy trees requires mandatory permissions from the Forest department. This places restrictions, civic body officials say, on the upkeep of green spaces alongside roads.
# Trees in Delhi are prone to termite attacks.
According to NDMC officials, tamarind trees on Akbar Road are likely to fall during heavy rain or winds because their trunks have been hollowed out by termites.
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