While the city has not yet experienced intense rainfall since the arrival of the monsoon, a tragic incident occurred on Monday when a 45-year-old man died after a Banyan tree fell on him near BDD Chawl in Worli. Residents allege that the trees in these areas were not trimmed before the monsoon, which led to the tragic loss of life.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) oversees approximately 2,975,000 trees, with 186,246 situated along roads. According to the BMC, 114,337 of these trees were pruned before the monsoon. A survey identified 502 dead, infested, and bent trees, of which 482 were removed.
Ravi Raja, former leader of the opposition, pointed out that there was neither rain nor strong winds when the incident occurred, indicating improper pruning of trees. “This monsoon, the city witnessed an unfortunate tree crash death. A marketing professional lost his life,” said Raja. He added that the civic body claims the land where the tree was situated falls under PWD jurisdiction. “For how many years will the administration pass the buck? For the last two years, we have insisted that an arborist be appointed in each ward, but no action has been taken yet. Such deaths are unfortunate and painful,” Raja said. He emphasized that arborists can help identify risks, prune trees safely, and carry out internal diagnoses of trees.
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Currently, contractors appointed for tree trimming under BMC jurisdiction do not include arborists. The BMC requires that contractors have at least one well-trained horticulturist. The contractors are responsible for surveying dead and dangerous trees, removing and disposing of them, balancing the trees by trimming or pruning, and protecting trees from pests and diseases through appropriate plant protection measures, including tree planting and disposal of unclaimed tree cuttings.
Zoru Bhathena, an environmentalist and civic activist, criticized the BMC's tree-trimming process as flawed. “The city has one arborist known to us, and not every tree trimming requires an arborist,” said Bhathena. He added that BMC-appointed contractors trim trees incorrectly by removing lower branches and leaving the upper parts untouched, making the trees more susceptible to falling during heavy winds.
Regarding Monday’s incident, local residents reported that a huge Banyan tree, along with another tree (Gul Bhendi), suddenly fell on a busy street near BDD Chawl no. 89. Amit Jagtap (45), a resident of BDD Chawl no. 92, was passing by on his bike and was severely injured. He was rushed to Global Hospital in Parel but succumbed to his injuries at 5:30 pm. "Amit worked in the marketing department of a private firm and was on his way to the office when branches of the trees fell on him, causing head and chest injuries," said a local resident.
Local residents claimed the Banyan tree was around 100 years old and had not been trimmed during this monsoon season.
Ahead of the monsoon, the civic body distributed leaflets across the city, cautioning residents against standing under trees during rainfall and thunderstorms due to potential dangers, including tree falls.