Bengaluru Resumes Tree Census After Six-Year Delay

Quick Summary

• Tree Census Project Progress: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) tree census project, frist ordered in 2017 with a three-year deadline, is still incomplete nearly six years later.
• Enumeration Data: BBMP has recorded 6.91 lakh trees so far, covering 80 wards in the southern and eastern regions of Bengaluru. Estimated total: ~21 lakh trees citywide.
• New Contractors Onboard: Two contractors with prior experience in Mumbai and Delhi tree censuses are expected to join following streamlined processes under fresh tendering.
• Completion timeline: BBMP aims to complete the census by December or January 2024, citing improved measures such as an updated Sanction Schedule Rate (SSR), now ₹22 per tree.
• Challenges Faced:

– Initial lack of planning for large-scale enumeration involving identification,geo-tagging,and measurements.
– Allegations of bribery raised against officials by a former contractor who withdrew from the project earlier this year.
– Field workers struggle with species recognition and irregular attendance hampering progress.

• technology Adoption: Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Center developed a mobile app for data collection; it will be made public after completion of the survey.
• Environmental concerns: Experts like A.N. Yellappa Reddy have criticized delays citing ecological losses due to unrecorded deforestation from development projects.