BENGALURU: A police constable on duty at Cunningham Road Junction got lucky, escaping a crashing tree branch by a whisker. The huge peepal branch brought traffic to a halt, and damaged four cars and a couple of two-wheelers on Friday evening.
Srimanth Bandiwadder, the constable attached to High Grounds traffic police station, said he heard the crack of a branch, and sheer instinct made him move to the side, which alerted others to follow suit. Within seconds, the branch came crashing down. “It seemed like half the tree fell. I immediately checked on the others around me, and alerted the control room. Traffic came to a halt and had to be diverted,” he said.
Traffic police and BBMP workers cleared the tree branch and checked the damaged vehicles. Interestingly, BBMP officials admitted they were uncertain why the peepal branch fell, when there was no heavy downpour or strong wind. BBMP Deputy Conservator of Forests Sareena Sikkaligar said the weather or improper digging of the area may have damaged the roots and branches of the tree, which was also old and weak. The exact cause needs to be ascertained, to decide the next course of action.
A BBMP official who did not want to be named, said, “It is not uncommon for trees to fall and damage vehicles. So there is no need to worry or report the issue.”
Experts said BBMP officials need to count and assess every tree in the city. There is still no account of the status of trees, nor is there coordination among BBMP wings, the engineering and road works departments or the forest cell, to maintain roots and branches while taking up civil works.