RAWALPINDI: Alstonia scholaris in the cantonment areas, commonly known as devil trees, have contracted what horticulturalists have called a viral disease because of air pollution.

The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has contacted horticulturalists and begun treating the trees, which have been planted in parks and on greenbelts along roads in the area. The treatment process will be completed within a week.

Horticulturalist Sohail Ahmed told Dawn that galls had appeared on the leaves of these trees in several areas, and experts believed this was the result of a viral infection.

“As Alstonia scholaris are not native to the area, there were chances that they could contract a viral disease,” he said, adding that the trees had been sprayed with bifenthrin after 15 days and their old shoots were cut off.

Mr Ahmed said experts believed that such plants were affected by air pollution emitted from vehicles, but added that the disease in plants would not affect humans.

He said sheesham trees had also been affected by this disease in the past. Attention will be given to treating the trees, and there is no plan to cut them down, he said.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2018