Mumbai: Pre-Monsoon Tree Collapse Incidents Raises Concerns, BMC Appeals for Citizen Caution

Mumbai: Ahead of heavy rainfall in the city, a staggering number of 200 trees and 253 branches have already collapsed in the past month (up until June 25). Adding to the incidents, a tree in Malabar Hill fell, causing damage to several parked cars in the area. In response, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has shifted responsibility by urging citizens to avoid standing under trees during heavy rains.

As part of their monsoon preparedness, the BMC has issued notices to 4,500 government and private premises, including residential societies. Owners of these premises have been instructed to trim or remove hazardous trees with civic permission. A 150-year-old mango tree within a residential society in Malabar Hill uprooted on Saturday morning, resulting in damage to approximately 10 cars. Citizens and social activists have criticized the BMC for its perceived failure to fulfill its responsibilities.

BMC defends itself

However, the civic authorities have defended themselves, stating that the garden department of the BMC has proactively trimmed and removed the most dangerous trees ahead of the monsoon season. "During heavy rain and gusty winds, the risk of tree or branch collapse increases. Additionally, the possibility of lightning strikes cannot be ignored. Therefore, citizens should avoid standing under trees for their own safety," emphasized the garden department in a statement released on Sunday.

Jitendra Pardeshi, the BMC's garden superintendent, stated, "Notices have been served to private and residential societies with hazardous trees. We will ensure that these trees are trimmed. We have taken all necessary precautions to address dangerous trees in the city." However, environmental activist Zoru Bhathena expressed skepticism, asserting that identifying and trimming hazardous trees should not be a difficult task for the BMC.

According to the tree census conducted in 2017, the BMC oversees approximately 29.75 lakh trees. Out of these, 15.63 lakh are located on private premises, 11.25 lakh on government premises, and 1.85 lakh trees line the roadsides. The Garden Department has surveyed around 1.15 lakh large trees this year, selecting 85,505 for pruning in a systematic manner.