Mumbai:
Mumbai’s monsoon turned deadly this week as more than 1100 trees were uprooted across the city in just 7 days, claiming 3 lives and damaging several vehicles.
In a single day on July 6, 523 trees fell – the highest in 24 hours this season – as heavy rains and gusty winds battered the metropolis.
Areas like Goregaon, Kurla, Matunga and Dadar reported extensive damage.
Among the lives lost to falling trees is 11-year-old Vihaan Shrivastav, who was killed on June 30 after a roadside tree uprooted and crashed onto his school bus in Chembur.
The incident took place around 3 pm near Heritage Pride on Road No. 11 in Chembur. Vihaan, a student of Universal High School, suffered critical head and abdominal injuries and was declared dead at Zen Hospital. Four other children sustained minor injuries.
Residents allege they had repeatedly warned the BMC about the dangerous tree. Internal BMC communication had also flagged that road construction on Road No. 11 had damaged tree roots and increased the risk of collapse during monsoon. Following the tragedy, the civic body suspended a garden department official pending inquiry.
Tree Fall Toll Rises To 3 This Week
Apart from Vihaan, two more people died in tree-fall incidents
On July 5, 18-year-old Hasan Raza Jahangir Alam Syed died in Aarey Colony after a tree branch fell on his motorcycle.
On July 6, 63-year-old Yunus Kundawala was killed in Kurla West when a tree collapsed on a shop he was in. The BMC has announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for his family.
BMC Data: 1124 Trees Fell Between June 30 – July 6
According to civic data, the number of tree falls has risen steadily since the monsoon began:
June 30: 36 trees, 1 death
July 1: 90 trees
July 2: 99 trees
July 3: 121 trees
July 4: 91 trees, 1 death
July 5: 164 trees, 1 death
July 6: 523 trees
The western suburbs recorded the maximum falls with 448 trees, followed by eastern suburbs with 340 and the city area with 336.
The BMC received 276 tree-related complaints in 24 hours. Officials said rescue teams from the Mumbai Fire Brigade and civic staff were deployed across the city to clear roads and restore traffic.
Experts have blamed unplanned construction, concrete slabs blocking root growth, and lack of upkeep for weakening trees.
With more rain forecast this week, civic officials have urged citizens to avoid parking vehicles under trees and to report any leaning or damaged trees to the BMC helpline immediately.
(With Inputs from Akshay Kudkelwar)
