THE Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) appears to have failed to learn from incidents during the first spell of monsoon, with potentially dangerous and weakened trees continuing to stand across the city. Despite repeated concerns over trees that could collapse during heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms, adequate preventive action remains a major concern. Control rooms set up: The Madhya Pradesh Urban Development and Housing Department has established three-tier control rooms at the state, divisional and district levels to deal with possible natural and accidental disasters during the rainy season.

 

The system is intended to co-ordinate emergency response to incidents involving waterlogging, flooding, structural collapses, fallen trees and lightning. Officials have directed urban local bodies to identify damaged and dilapidated structures and take timely preventive measures. Special emphasis has also been placed on immediately removing trees that fall on roads during storms so that traffic can be restored without delay. Dangerous trees remain concern: However, the continued presence of vulnerable trees in several parts of Bhopal raises questions about the implementation of these instructions. Trees with visibly damaged trunks, weakened branches or signs of decay can pose a serious threat to pedestrians, motorists and nearby properties, particularly during high winds and intense rainfall.