Mumbai, July 14, 2026: The BMC's internal inquiry report, which gave a clean chit to its Garden and Roads departments over the excavation work carried out around the Peepal tree that collapsed and killed an 11-year-old school student in Chembur, has sparked a political storm.
Mayor Ritu Tawde rejected the civic body's internal inquiry as "unacceptable", while Opposition leader and Shiv Sena (UBT) senior corporator Kishori Pednekar accused the administration of attempting to "suppress the truth and mislead the public" through the report.
Speaking to reporters, Tawde said, "The responsibility for the Chembur tree collapse squarely lies with the site engineer and the Garden Department. They should have worked collectively. Yet the inquiry merely recommends a Rs 7 lakh penalty against the contractor and consultant. Can Rs 7 lakh deliver justice to an 11-year-old boy who lost his life? Therefore, I reject this report and its findings," she said.
Demanding criminal action against those responsible, Tawde said the contractor and consultant should be booked for culpable homicide instead of being let off with a monetary penalty. "I will not stand by the administration when it is trying to defend wrongdoing. Accountability cannot end with a token fine when a child has lost his life," she added.
Opposition Slams Inquiry Report
Pednekar called the inquiry report "unfortunate and outrageous" and said the Shiv Sena (UBT) would not accept it. She said rejecting the report was not enough and demanded that the Mayor take a firm stand against those responsible.
Alleging a lack of coordination between the ruling BJP and the civic administration, Pednekar accused the BMC of undermining elected representatives and using inquiry reports to shield officials instead of taking strict action.
Inquiry Findings Under Fire
The BMC inquiry into the June 30 Chembur tree collapse placed the blame on the roadwork contractor and supervising consultant, recommending penalties of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively, for lapses during excavation work. At the same time, the report exonerated the civic body's Garden and Roads departments, finding no prima facie fault on their part.
The committee observed that the contractor failed to take sufficient precautions while carrying out excavation around the tree roots. However, it stopped short of holding the contractor solely responsible, citing several contributing factors, including the large number of tree and branch falls reported across Mumbai during the same period.
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The consultant was penalised for inadequate supervision, while the BMC departments were cleared on the grounds that precautionary advisories were issued before excavation and measures were taken to protect the tree roots.
Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has instructed officials to implement the recommendations, including introducing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for urban tree safety and deploying tree experts for pruning supervision.
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