Dieback knocks on Rashtrapati Nilayam door in Hyderabad | Hyderabad News

SECUNDERABAD: The mysterious dieback disease has reached the doorstep of the President’s abode in the city. Over 500 neem trees, most of them decades old, on the premises of Rashtrapati Nilayam have been hit by the fungus that causes dieback.
To revive the wilting trees, officials of the central public works department’s (CPWD) horticulture wing have started the treatment and are hopeful that the trees will slowly get rejuvenated.

“We have already taken some measures to protect the neem trees. In a month, we hope they will be back to their past glory,” said an official of the department that is in-charge of all the gardens within the President’s estate.
The infection caused by the fungus Phomopsis azadirachtae often kills the neem trees, particularly the old ones. High humidity and change in climate conditions are also blamed on the increase in attacks by the dieback fungus. The younger and stronger neems, however, survive the attack even though their branches dry up. Apart from fruit rot, the disease can also cause twig blight in neem.
The gardeners working at the premises are also hoping for their revival.
“It is very sad to see the trees, which gave shade to people for decades, slowly drying up. We really hope the treatment works and the greenery of the neem trees is restored,” said one of them when TOI visited over 90-acre estate recently.
Hundreds of neem trees were severely affected at AOC Circle and abutting military areas in the Secunderabad Cantonment as well.