Hanging by a thread! Bureaucratic deadlock turns fallen tree into looming disaster

In a glaring case of administrative apathy, a massive tree branch that crashed onto the roof of a public footpath outside the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) campus in Dharamsala continues to hang precariously — days after a storm and heavy rainfall brought it down.

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The large branch, now dangerously wedged onto the covered walkway beside the busy road leading to the Dharamsala cricket stadium, poses a serious safety risk to students, pedestrians and commuters. Despite heavy foot traffic in the area — located right next to CUHP’s main gate and along a major route to the stadium — no action has been taken by the authorities to remove the looming hazard.

Environmental experts and local residents are baffled by the inaction. Although the area falls under the Smart City project, jurisdictional confusion seems to have stalled the response. According to officials, the road is maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD), the trees come under the Forest Department and the task of trimming or removal lies with the Forest Corporation — a bureaucratic tangle with no department stepping up.

Ironically, this incident comes just days after a citywide mock drill involving disaster management teams aimed at testing emergency preparedness. Yet the hanging branch — now a symbol of bureaucratic negligence — continues to threaten public safety.

“The branch is not just large; it’s practically the size of a full-grown tree,” said a local resident. “It has already damaged the tin roofing of the walkway. If it falls completely, it could cause serious injuries or even fatalities. Why wait for a tragedy?”

Students and residents are now calling for immediate action, fearing that this overlooked hazard could lead to a preventable disaster. Urgent coordination among the departments concerned is needed — before this silent threat becomes a deadly one.