Mysuru: Waking up to the silent suffocation of Mysuru city’s roadside trees, the Forest Department has finally issued a directive to reverse the damage caused by indiscriminate concrete, asphalt, stone slabs and tile laying at tree bases.

Acting on the warning, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has launched a clean-up drive, ripping up the materials choking the trees and creating water absorption pits to restore rainwater percolation.

For years, road and footpath development projects have smothered tree roots under layers of asphalt and interlocking tiles, ignoring ecological impact. Experts say many trees now collapse under mild winds and rain because their roots are unable to grow deep or access water.

Following these alarming observations, the Forest Department sent a formal notice to the MCC, prompting swift action. MCC Commissioner Shaikh Tanveer Asif confirmed to Star of Mysore that the Civic Body had already passed a resolution in the Council to remove the offending materials even before receiving the letter from the Forest Department.

Contractors have now been put on notice. “Any future road, footpath or drainage works must include proper tree well design to allow water absorption. Failure to comply will result in withheld payments,” he added.

Shockingly, the problem isn’t limited to public works. In many localities, private property owners have laid concrete and tiles around trees in front of their homes and businesses. The MCC Commissioner has warned that such individuals will face strict penalties if they do not remove the barriers immediately.

Former Corporator K.V. Sridhar didn’t mince words: “Across Mysuru, trees in front of commercial buildings and residential properties are being systematically destroyed. If the Forest Department and the Mysuru City Corporation fail to crack down hard, the city’s green canopy will vanish — and our roads will become lifeless concrete corridors.”