40-yr-old bamboo grove in B'luru's Cubbon Park nears end of lifespan, to be replaced

The iconic bamboo groves inside Cubbon Park in Bengaluru could soon no longer greet you on your morning walks. The Horticulture Department has decided to fell the trees after it observed that they flowered earlier this year, which officials say, is the beginning of the end of the lifespan of the trees.

“Some species of bamboo flowers after 30 years or so. When that happens, their days are numbered. They will slowly change their colour from green to brown and eventually wither. It is the natural life cycle of the bamboo plant,” explains Mahantesh Murgod, Deputy Director of Horticulture at Cubbon Park.

Workers are currently working around the clock to cut down and remove around 200 bamboo trees, which were planted in the park around 40 years ago. They will be cleared in the next six months and will be replaced by 400 bamboo plants of 12 varieties.

“New bamboo trees will be planted in the same area but only after the current colony of old bamboo trees is cleared", says Mahantesh.

The bamboo trees being felled will be taken to Mulbagal in Kolar by the group clearing the trees. According to a report by TNIE, the bamboo from the trees will be used to make furniture, ladders, and baskets, besides being utilised in the sericulture (silk farming) industry. They will also be used to preserve tomatoes transported across the country from Kolar.

“There are twenty families in Mulbagal in Kolar who make bamboo products. We have been in Bengaluru for a month to axe the bamboo. This will go on for another five or six months,” Ganesh, one of the labourers cutting down the trees told TNM.

The park, spanning 1.2 square km in the heart of the city, is a landmark lung space for the city's residents. It is home to around 100 species of trees. “These trees are spread all across the park and added to its aesthetic value,” said Dhruv Varma, a resident of Koramangala and a regular visitor of Cubbon Park.  

“As an avid photography enthusiast, I can say the bamboos added a picturesque backdrop to the park,” he added.