Every monsoon, the first signs of severe weather are easy to spot — towering trees swaying in strong winds. Most withstand the storm. Some don't.

When an old tree crashed onto a school bus in Mumbai in July 2025, killing 11-year-old Vihan Srivastava, it became a heartbreaking reminder that falling trees can cost lives.

While extreme weather is often blamed, arborists and environmental experts point to another, less visible reason: concrete.

In Dehradun, that understanding has inspired a simple but effective change in the way the city cares for its trees.

Instead of sealing tree trunks in cement, authorities and citizen groups are removing the concrete around their bases, allowing roots to breathe, absorb rainwater and grow stronger.

The solution is simple, but it could change how Indian cities prepare for increasingly intense monsoons.

In many Indian cities, pavements and roads are built right up to the base of roadside trees.

While the finished streets look neat, the concrete blocks the soil that trees rely on to survive.

Tree roots need oxygen, water and loose soil to stay healthy and anchor the tree firmly in the ground. When cement and paving tiles cover the soil, rainwater cannot seep in, air cannot reach........

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