A Thousand Cuts: Namma Trees' Agony

As the city transformed itself from a pensioner's paradise to the country's premier Silicon Valley, it took a heavy toll on me. Chain saws scythed through the verdant green foliage to make way for wider roads, new layouts (with some existing ones getting extended to seventh and eighth phases) and steel and glass office structures to house the who-is-who of technology economy.

The plight of those of us who escaped the blades of chain saw is no better. Many of us can't even withstand a minor gust of say 40 km/hr speed and the most recent one decimated around 300 trees across the city in an hour. We thank our achchey sitare that we are not located in areas prone to cyclones! Vehicular and industrial pollution have badly shaved off our life spans by choking us with poisonous fumes.

The cementing of pavements, leaving no gaps around the roots of trees, blocks intake of water and vital nutrients, besides subjecting us to unbearable heat during summers. It also cuts supply of vital nutrients to the roots and their growth gets stunted and affects tree stability. It’s not that urban authorities are not aware of all this, but they feel that leaving gaps near roots would pose a headache for them as that spot would soon become de facto trash bin and may require periodic cleaning. So they choose the easy way out.

Then there are those telecom companies laying fiber optic cables. Callow youth clad in t-shirts with fluorescent jackets come to cut through the roads using noisy machinery. Sadly we don't have four legs like animals, otherwise we would have scooted at their very sight. Often we end up as unwitting target with our roots either getting cut or exposed, endangering our overall health. Sadly Indian roads are always at 'Men at work' mode. Power, water, telecom and other sundry utility guys compete with each other to leave their indelible mark on the road, especially if it is freshly tarred.

For our well being and a good balance, our branches do require periodic pruning. However, the one we occasionally undergo is not done by any tree expert, but by the Bescom guys, who, quite literally, have their own axes to grind. They do it just to prevent branches from touching the electric wires and have no idea what tree balance means. Such lopsided pruning often leaves us unsteady and vulnerable to the vagaries of monsoon.

Amidst all this ecological mayhem the only islands of old world tranquility can be found in army cantonments dotting across the city. Only there we get to see some neatly manicured lawns and well maintained tree lined boulevards. 

Also Read: Random Jottings

Power Transformers: Lurking Danger

Power outages at my house are rarely a quiet affair. They are often preceded by a loud thud from an electrical transformer located some 50 feet away from my flat. This squarish weather beaten, ageing and bulky metallic contraption perched on two rods on an electric post with numerous wires dangling around always exudes a sinister look. Sometimes from my balcony I do see sparks emanating from the transformer.

The condition of most transformers dotting the street corners and footpaths of the city is no different. Moreover, there is no protective fencing around most of them and these spots often degenerate into garbage dumping points. The fact that they are located overhead multiplies the element of surprise, with hapless pedestrians and motorists blissfully unaware of the dangers. Quite often on some footpaths one can also see hawkers selling their wares right below these transformers.

Electrical transformers are meant to transfer energy between circuits, switching energy from one voltage to another. But when flooded with too much electricity, the sudden surge can cause a transformer explosion. They do contain mineral oil to keeps the circuits cool, but during a spike in electricity the circuits fry and melt which often leads to sparks and sets the mineral oil aflame. A corroded or a faulty wire is enough to trigger a disaster.

The city had its fair share of electrocutions caused due to faulty transformers - the latest one being at Koramangala where a man sustained burn injuries and later died after a transformer explosion led to leakage of hot oil. He was riding a two-wheeler and happened to be near the transformer when the explosion took place. Quite a few times the matter have reached courts and the city's power supplier Bescom has been ticked off by judges for its cavalier attitude.

Despite High Court directive to shift these transformers from crowded footpaths and street corners little has been done and around 9,000 of them still lurk over pavements in various parts of the city. Some of them are located on footpaths adjoining roads that witness high traffic volumes during peak hours. Motorists are often forced to halt near them due to traffic jams, and they have to thank only their lucky stars for surviving unscathed.

Also Read: Random Jottings