BENGALURU: As National Census 2027 (Listing of House and Households) kicked off on Thursday, the forest wing under Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is struggling to cover an area of over 800sqkm with just 15 staffers, who are also on census duty.
A senior Range Forest Officer (RFO) in GBA stated that numerous petitions for tree felling are being received, but civic staff are unable to conduct spot inspections and clear files for cutting down dangerous trees or branches. Placed on census duty, they will be overburdened and likely to delay attending to complaints arising due to summer showers that are expected anytime.
With the monsoon set to begin in around 50 days, range officers and assistant conservators of forests are tasked with monitoring nurseries for tree plantation drives and also regular annual maintenance work. All these services will be impacted, and in case of showers and uprooted trees, there may be a delay in reaching the spot and resolving complaints. “First, we cannot reach on time due to distance, and second, we will be on survey duty, which is a priority,” said a senior RFO.
In erstwhile BBMP, tree-fall response teams were deployed to swiftly clear fallen trees and branches, reducing hazards during heavy rainfall across the city. It is time such teams with additional staff from the engineering wing are formed at the earliest, as summer showers can cause flooding and uproot trees, said the forest official.