Vesac India To Launch Urban Forest Intelligence Pilot To Study Tree-Fall Risks

Navi Mumbai: With incidents of tree falls during the monsoon frequently disrupting traffic, damaging infrastructure and raising questions over public safety, environmental organisation VesacIndia is set to undertake a pilot study aimed at developing a more systematic approach to understanding the health and stability of urban trees.

Urban tree health study

The Urban Forest Intelligence (UFI) Pilot Study, developed by VesacIndia founder Vijaykumar Katti, will be conducted at selected locations in Thane and Navi Mumbai. The initiative seeks to bring together botanists, arborists, ecologists, engineers, municipal officials, environmental journalists, disaster management professionals and citizens to examine trees from multiple perspectives.

According to Katti, tree-fall incidents are generally investigated after an accident has occurred, while insufficient attention is paid to changes in a tree's environment that may indicate stress well in advance.

"The purpose is not to declare whether a tree is safe or unsafe, but to understand how different observations combine to create a more informed picture of the tree," Katti said.

Research approach and AI role

The pilot will cover two locations, with five representative trees at each site. Researchers and participants will document the surrounding environment, identify the tree species and study its natural growth characteristics. The condition of the canopy, trunk, branches and roots, as well as the relationship between trees and nearby roads, buildings, utilities and other infrastructure, will also be examined.

A key component of the initiative will be the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to organise observations, compare photographs and other visual evidence over time and identify patterns that may not be immediately apparent to the human eye.

Katti describes the approach as "Analysed Inference", in which technology supports rather than replaces human judgement. According to him, AI can assist with documentation and pattern recognition, but conclusions must continue to be based on scientific knowledge, field experience and local understanding.

Building a monitoring framework

The initiative has evolved from Katti's more than three decades of work in gardening, plantation, biodiversity conservation, environmental restoration and waste management. He said repeated observation of trees and their surroundings had convinced him that changes in soil, drainage, construction activity, road widening and other urban interventions can influence tree health over time.

The proposed UFI framework is therefore intended to create a common platform for different disciplines to share observations and build a more comprehensive understanding of urban trees.

Focus on monsoon risks

The pilot comes amid growing public concern over tree falls during heavy monsoon spells. Katti said the objective is not to suggest that every tree fall can be prevented, but to encourage authorities and citizens to identify warning signs earlier and make better-informed decisions.

A pre-pilot interaction has also been proposed for August 9, where the methodology will be presented to experts and stakeholders for discussion and suggestions before the field exercise begins.

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The organisation has invited environmental journalists and editors, botanists, arborists, ecologists, forest officials, municipal officers and engineers, MAHATRANSCO and MSEDCL officials, disaster management professionals, researchers, students, resident associations and nature enthusiasts to participate.

"The success of this pilot will not be measured by the number of trees studied. It will be measured by whether it inspires a culture of observation and evidence-based dialogue, helping society move from reacting to tree-fall incidents towards understanding trees before such incidents occur," Katti said.

Those interested in participating in the pre-pilot interaction or field study have been asked to contact Vijaykumar Katti of VesacIndia at +91 79775 13822 for details of the venues and schedule.

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