Bandra is a neighborhood located in Mumbai, India, and for the past few months, residents of the region have been watching several ornamental trees come under attack by termites. Mount Mary Road is lined with one hundred and eighty nine trees. A few months ago, residents began to complain to the local government about the dead trees that succumbed to termite infestations. Some of these termite damaged trees are posing risks to the public. For example, one dead tree recently fell over and landed on a resident, killing him. A few other residents have been injured by falling trees in the area. In response to these casualties, residents of Mount Mary Road hired their own pest control professional to treat the termite infested trees. In total, forty nine trees have become infested with termites, and these trees will fall over eventually unless they are dealt with professionally. After the local government declined termite treatments due to the high cost, residents of the neighborhood rallied the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to perform termite treatments in the area.
Residents of Mount Mary Road can now breathe a sigh of relief as the BMC recently sprayed several trees for termites. Many of the trees had termite-infested limbs chopped off, and the chemical treatments were applied to the base of many of the trees.
Of the forty nine termite-infested trees, twenty one have been treated, and seven of these trees showed signs of serious and advanced termite infestations. The remaining termite-infested trees will be treated soon. Trees that have not been found infested with termites will nevertheless undergo preventative termite treatments. These treatments will be repeated several times during the next two months. The frequency of termite treatments in the area may increase depending on the results of the initial treatments. Hopefully another death can be prevented.
Are you surprised that the government initially refused termite treatments despite the death that resulted from the toppling of a termite-infested tree?