Monsoon over, Mealy bug back to kill Mumbai's trees

The Mealy bug has struck the trees again. After a couple of months of break, the parasite has been found on several rain trees in the city, slowly killing them. 

Prior to the monsoon, dna had reported how the parasite had started killing the precious decade-old rain trees (scientific name: Samanea Saman) and how the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) did the least to save them.

This time, the parasite attacks have been reported at MG Road in Goregaon and on some rain trees at the Bandra-Kurla Complex.

Kshitij Ashtekar, a resident of Goregaon, said, “I thought the rains would revive the trees, but at MG Road, I have seen at least ten trees dying.”

According to environmentalist Rishi Aggarwal, there is an urgent need to bring the situation to the notice of BMC’s Tree Authority. Before the monsoon, over 200 trees attacked by the bug. These trees are at Matunga, Dadar, King Circle, Khar, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Santa Cruz, Kandivli, etc.