Jaipur: Residents across the city are raising concerns over lack of tree pruning, fearing accidents during heavy rain and strong winds. Two 50- to 60-year-old trees collapsed in the Walled City during a spell of light rain and gusty winds last month causing vehicular damage.Residents say tree pruning has not been carried out in many parts of the city, including the Walled City, Tilak Nagar, Tonk Road and Durgapura, for nearly a year. Many roadside and park trees have overgrown branches or are visibly leaning, increasing the risk of falling during the monsoon.Atul Ahuja, president of the Nehru Bazaar Traders’ Association, said, “The trees have not been maintained for almost a year. With monsoon arriving, we fear that a falling tree or even a large branch could damage shops with weak roofs or injure people.”Former councillor Arvind Methi said, “The contract for tree pruning expired a long time ago. It has neither been renewed nor has a fresh tender been issued. There is a large, weak-looking tree near the girls’ school in Kishanpole, and it could become dangerous if strong winds hit the area.”Saksham Tak, a resident of Durgapura, said, “The trees in our local park have grown very large, but they are not maintained during monsoon, posing threat of accidents .”Jaipur Municipal Corporation garden deputy commissioner Neelam Meena said, “With the onset of monsoon, JMC has intensified tree pruning and risk assessment across the city. Garden teams are inspecting old, diseased, tilted and structurally weak trees, especially in the Walled City, major roads, parks, schools, hospitals and other crowded areas. Dedicated teams are carrying out pruning, providing support where needed, and removing dangerous trees after technical assessment and approvals. Emergency teams are also on standby to clear fallen trees during adverse weather.”According to JMC guidelines, large-scale tree pruning should ideally be completed between April and June, while dry or dangerous branches can be removed throughout the year.
