Mumbai civic body completes tree removal and beaches pruning works at 3,841 locations

Mumbai, Jul 18 (PTI) A total of 902 trees were uprooted, and 1,275 branches fell across Mumbai due to heavy rains and strong winds between June 22 and July 17, the city civic body said, adding that removal of debris and pruning work at 3,841 locations have been completed. The work is currently underway at 542 more sites, the BMC said on Saturday. A total of 902 trees were uprooted, and 1,275 branches fell across public and private properties due to heavy rains and strong winds between June 22 and July 17, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stated, citing data by its garden department. Since the onset of the monsoon, such incidents have claimed three lives, including that of an 11-year-old student who was killed when a peepal tree fell on a moving school bus in Chembur last month. Separately, 63-year-old Yunus Kundawala died after a tree fell on a shop in Kurla (west) on July 5. On Sunday, Kumar Hasan Raza Jahangir Alam Syed (18) succumbed to injuries after a tree branch fell on his head while he was riding a motorcycle with friends in Aarey Colony during heavy rain on July 4. Of the uprooted trees, debris at 359 of 367 locations on BMC properties has been cleared, while work is in progress at eight locations. On private properties, 452 of 524 uprooted trees have been removed, and operations continue at 72 locations. Similarly, 541 of 552 fallen branches on civic land have been cleared, with work continuing at 11 locations. On private properties, 632 of 723 fallen branches have been removed, while clearance is underway at 91 locations. The civic body also said pruning work, which was the responsibility of owners but remained unattended, has been completed at 1,857 of 2,206 locations, while work is in progress at the remaining sites. The garden department said its control room, ward offices and emergency teams are functioning round the clock during the monsoon with manpower and machinery deployed for prompt response. The BMC also appealed to citizens not to take shelter under trees during heavy rain or strong winds and to report fallen trees or dangerous branches to its 1916 helpline. PTI KK NSK