Experts blame weak roots and poor planning for tree falls during rains and strong winds.
Hyderabad: Every year, trees fall under the impact of rains and gales, either in the monsoon season or unseasonal events, causing roadblocks, breaking electric lines and damaging property. The initial blame is put on heavy wind or rain, but experts say that the real cause are the planting of non-native trees and narrow spaces on pavements that don't let the roots expand.
One of the common trees that falls is the copperpod (peltophorum pterocarpum), known for its bright yellow flowers, fast growth and dense cover. According to GHMC, the trees were widely planted 20 years ago to quickly increase greenery.
“Copperpods grow fast, stay semi-evergreen, and flower twice a year making them an attractive option for city planners looking for quick results.” said Kobita Dass Kolli, botanist, and nature educator.
Explaining the reason for their easily toppling over, she said: “Copperpods have shallow and weak roots that struggle to anchor in Hyderabad’s rocky soil, especially when hemmed in by concrete pavements and roads. Cities want quick results, but trees are a long-term investment. We need to stop treating them like decorations and start planning them like infrastructure.” she said
Layers of roads have become tighter, leaving little space for roots. “We’re building concrete pavements with tiles and tight spaces for tree's growth with no open soil around tree bases,” Kolli said. This restricts root growth. When a tree with a full canopy faces a strong wind, it overbalances and falls.
Unlike native trees which shed leaves to save water, copperpods keep their leaves all year. “They retain their foliage year-round, making them more vulnerable during pre-monsoon storms,” Kolli said. Copperpods are native to Southeast Asia and are not really suited for Hyderabad’s dry and rocky terrain.
Kolli pointed out the rain tree (Samanea saman) also faced similar problems. “These trees need a lot of water and open space for their roots to spread. Earlier, trees were planted in open areas. Now, with more buildings and less space, many trees are trapped in small spots.”
Kolli pointed out that the native banyan trees once lined the Gandipet area. “Only a few of them remain now, many were lost to road widening and construction. Trees that had decades to anchor themselves are slowly disappearing.” she said.
Kolli said native trees still exist that can survive if chosen properly.
“Terminalia bellirica (Tani), Lagerstroemia parviflora (kenangi), and Cassia fistula (Indian laburnum or Rayla). These trees are tough with hard root systems, they require less water, and have evolved to survive local climate conditions. But they are rarely chosen because they don’t provide year-round canopy and may require extra effort in leaf management during shedding seasons.”
Kolli said older gardens accepted leaf fall and slow growth. “Now, the focus is on glossy buildings and clean pavements. So the tree's choice reflects that.”
While people welcome green cover, the falling of trees causes a nuisance in the form of snapped power lines and blocked traffic. “This has become a routine. Every time there’s heavy rain, a big tree falls and blocks the road. Sometimes it damages vehicles too.” said Nagaraj N., a resident from Secunderabad.
Farida Tampal, state director, WWF-India, said, “Earlier, fast-growing trees were planted in bulk without much thought. But now, a bit of awareness is coming in. There’s more care in choosing trees during plantation drives,” she said.
With fruit-bearing trees like fig, jamun, and peepal disappearing, birds that rely on them are vanishing. “The shift to fast-growing, ornamental trees that offer no food or shelter is not just weakening tree cover, it's pushing away bird species that made the city their home.” said Sriram Reddy, a birdwatcher.
He said the yellow-footed green pigeon, which was earlier common, is now harder to spot in city parks. “Once, you could spot them Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills. Now they’re almost gone, even hard to spot them at KBR Park.”
Venkateshwar Rao, director of the urban biodiversity wing in Hyderabad, said the corporation did not safety checks for each and every tree. “If there’s a complaint about a tree like a branch falling our staff will visit the spot and inspect it. Regular inspections happen, but only based on work requests, usually for parks or development sites..”
On how GHMC selects tree species, he said, “We look at three things: suitability for the area, availability of saplings, and the planting targets. For example, near lakes, we need water-loving species but if those aren’t available at planting time, we plant the next best alternative.”
“Often, the best time to plant is October or November, but by then the rainy season is over, so we are forced to plant earlier in June, July, or August.”
He said the trees, which are falling now, were planted years ago. “The trees falling now were not planted recently. They are old, large trees. Many are fast-growing species planted for quick results. People and even governments want greenery to show up fast. If we plant a slow-growing tree that takes 5 to 10 years to grow, they don’t have the patience to wait.”
Outside the city, GHMC prefers native trees. “Within city limits, we need to keep trees shorter because of power lines and infrastructure. After a few years, other departments like electricity or telecom come and trim or cut trees. Sometimes, they do it without proper coordination or permissions.” he said.
He added even when trees are translocated, survival is tough. “Translocation — moving trees from one place to another — is a good practice, but care after moving is critical. Often, trees look healthy for a few months, but without regular watering or monitoring, they die. We need better contracts that include long-term care one to two years before we pay the agency. Currently, after planting or translocating, follow-up care is weak.”
“Right now, we don’t have exact data on how many trees are in Hyderabad. Tree enumeration has never been fully done. It’s a big task and needs a dedicated team. We can estimate green cover using satellite images, but we don’t know the exact number or types of trees planted over the years,” he said.
