AT LAST, TREE CONTRACTORS TO FACE THE MUSIC!!!
BMC has been facing much flak due to innumerable deaths caused by ‘negligent’ trimming of trees by its contractors. Hence, to save its face from such criticism, BMC, in its revised contract, has now made the contractor accountable for death due to tree fall. The step has been taken to deter accidental deaths due to tree falls and make the tree contractor more sincere and scientific in its trimming.
In 2017, five people died due to tree falls, while in 2018 six people died and 30 were injured due to tree falls. Last year in Mulund, too, one person died, and several people were injured due to tree falls. To prevent such accidents, BMC has warned its contractors to do the trimming scientifically or pay the price for the accidents.
It has been observed that the contractors take huge money for trimming of trees, but do not employ tree experts and qualified people to trim trees scientifically. They employ illiterate people who do random trimming. As a result, the trees, instead of being trimmed properly, become weak and collapse causing death or injury to anybody trapped under them. Concerned over repeated accidents and deaths due to tree falls, BMC this year has shown compassion for the public.
Informing the media about the latest revision in the contract, a BMC official informed that in the revised contract BMC has made ‘appointment of a technical expert mandatory’. The duty of the expert is to inspect and report dangerous trees in every Ward. Further, BMC has also added a clause that clearly states that in case an accident or a death due to tree fall, the contractor will be held guilty and not the Tree Dept. official.
In Mulund, BMC T-Ward has started the trimming of trees on the roadside and in gardens.
BMC T-Ward’s appeal to citizens
BMC T-Ward has made a sincere appeal through Home Times to all private property owners and housing societies to inspect the dangerous trees in their premises and take permission from BMC to trim them at the earliest.
BMC has also appealed to the citizens to display civic sense and preserve trees. BMC has appealed to devotees to refrain from offering manure, water and other food (bhog) to trees in the temple premises. This attracts birds and animals like rats which dig out the mud around the tree to satisfy their hunger and, in turn, make the roots of the tree weak.
Details of Tree Trimming in Mulund
Last year, Mulund T-Ward cut around 4,000 trees and hundreds of branches were trimmed.
Last year, Mulund witnessed 25 cases of tree fall.
One person died in a tree fall accident.
6 trees were close to the roads while 19 trees were on private land.
This year, Mulund has a lolts of trees. The bifurcation is as follows:
Trees in gardens – 33, 645
Government trees – 11, 250
Trees close to roads – 6,900
Private trees – 48,500
Other trees – 5,635
