Chembur tree collapse probe report 'unacceptable', BMC should also be held responsible: Mumbai Mayor

Mumbai, Jul 14 (PTI) Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde on Tuesday said the civic panel's report on the Chembur tree collapse incident that killed a school boy was "unacceptable" to her, and demanded that the BMC's roads and garden departments must also be held responsible for their "negligence". She said mere payment of Rs 7 lakh compensation will not provide justice to the deceased school boy's family, she said. A peepal tree was uprooted and fell on a moving school bus near Diamond Garden in Chembur (West), killing an 11-year-old student and injuring several others on June 30. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had constituted a three-member committee to probe the incident. On Monday, the inquiry committee submitted its report, in which it recommended fines of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh on the road work contractor and supervising consultant respectively. However, it found no prima facie negligence on the part of both the departments- Garden and Roads. Talking to reporters in south Mumbai on Tuesday, the mayor said the report was not acceptable to her, and added that the roads and garden department of the BMC must also be held responsible for negligence. "I have gone through the report, in which only the contractor and PMC (project management consultant) have been held responsible (for the incident), while the civic body's roads and garden departments have not been blamed," she said. "Penalties of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively, have been imposed on the contractor and the consultant. But this report is not acceptable to me. The roads department's site engineer should also be held responsible," Tawde said. "Mere payment of Rs 7 lakh compensation will not provide justice to the child's family," the mayor said. She noted that the citizens of Mumbai were happy with the concretised roads as they remained free of potholes despite the monsoon, and that roadside drains were also in place. In a release issued late on Monday evening, the BMC said Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has directed officials to implement the panel's findings and recommendations, including preparing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for urban tree safety and appointing tree experts to supervise pruning work. Meanwhile, BMC Leader of Opposition Kishori Pednekar, who belongs to the Shiv Sena (UBT), said, "The civic committee's report is an attempt of mere eyewash and it also indicates that the ruling BJP has no control over the administration." "Strict action should be taken against those responsible for the incident, she demanded. PTI KK NP