Bengaluru Turns Pink Each Summer Thanks to This IFS Officer

Every summer, parts of Bengaluru turn pink.

The blossoms of Tabebuia rosea spill over roads and footpaths, softening traffic-heavy stretches and drawing people to pause beneath them. Office workers slow down. Residents look up. The city feels momentarily lighter.

That colour carries a story that began in the early 1980s, at a time when Bengaluru was growing faster than it had before. The population was rising. Roads were widened to keep pace with the city’s expansion. In that process, trees were cut. The transformation felt necessary, yet the loss was visible. A city once known for breathing through its tree-lined avenues was adjusting to concrete and asphalt.

Advertisment

Add The Better India As A Trusted Source

Authorities responded by planting saplings along new roads. The intention was clear. Yet many of those saplings did not survive. It was in this moment that Seturam Gopalrao Neginhal, an Indian Forest Service officer, stepped forward with a different way of thinking.

Walking the streets before planting the trees

Neginhal began by walking.

He moved through neighbourhoods and studied the soil beneath his feet. He observed how sunlight fell on certain stretches and how traffic flowed through others. Instead of treating tree planting as a routine exercise, he approached it as long-term planning.

Species were chosen carefully. Among them was Tabebuia rosea, selected for the shade it would provide and for its seasonal blooms that would mark time across the city’s streets.  

Protection formed the next layer of his plan. Saplings needed care if they were to survive growing traffic and urban pressure. Rather than relying on expensive concrete guards, Neginhal designed low-cost tree guards using bamboo and mesh. He also invited residents into the process; people were asked which trees they wanted on their streets.  

Five years that reshaped a city

The work continued consistently for five intense years.

Teams planted and protected trees across Bengaluru. Along busy roads, much of the work took place at night so that the city could move freely during the day. By the end of that period, more than 1.5 million trees had been planted across the city.

The impact extended beyond numbers. The plantations helped form a protective green belt around Bengaluru. The city’s natural cover was getting stronger at a time when conversations about climate crisis had not yet entered public discussion.

Decades later, the results remain visible. When shaded avenues cool the traffic and when Tabebuia blooms return each season, they reflect decisions taken with care in another era.  The blossoms fall. The petals are swept away. And then, the following year, the trees bloom again, carrying forward a vision planted decades earlier.