Mumbai: The BMC's investigation team inspected the tree collapse site in Chembur on Thursday and, prima facie, found that the storm water drain (SWD) had been diverted during the road concretisation work, killing the tree's roots. The tree pit and base also appeared hollow. There was no free space around the tree base, an official present during the inspection said.
"The SWD has been diverted and cement concretisation surrounds the tree base, leaving no open space to maintain the tree's health. The roots visibly appear to be either dead or damaged, weakening the massive tree internally. As part of the investigation, the committee will also examine the remains of the collapsed tree, which are being kept on the premises of the Chembur police station," the official told the FPJ.
The official said the CCTV footage showed that the 40-foot-tall tree came crashing down within a second, suggesting how weak it had become. The FPJ reviewed the footage, which showed that the school bus was travelling at a normal speed when the tree suddenly collapsed, trapping the bus within seconds.
On Wednesday, Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide appointed a two-member committee comprising deputy municipal commissioners to investigate the incident and submit its report within eight days. Three officers—including the Assistant Superintendent of Gardens, a sub-engineer, and an assistant engineer from the Roads Department—were suspended for prima facie negligence pending the conclusion of the departmental inquiry.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when a 60-year-old roadside peepal tree on Road No. 11 in Chembur East collapsed onto a bus belonging to Universal High School, killing 11-year-old student Vihan Shrivastav and injuring four other children.
The M-West ward office and the Garden Department said they had alerted the Roads Department to take necessary precautions while carrying out the road work. They also stated that during a survey conducted on May 12, the tree had appeared to be in healthy condition externally and had been pruned as part of pre-monsoon measures. The BMC added that it had received no official complaints, either online or offline, regarding the tree.
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