103 treefall incidents across city, arborist rues BMC garden dept’s cluelessness

The incidents come at a time when Mumbai is still reeling from the death of 11-year-old Vihaan Shrivastava, who was killed on Tuesday after a tree fell on his school bus

MUMBAI: The city witnessed a surge in tree and branch falls on Saturday, with the BMC reporting more than 103 such incidents from Matunga, Khar, Chembur, Churchgate, Dadar, Malabar Hill, Peddar Road, the Gateway of India and several other neighbourhoods. The incidents come at a time when Mumbai is still reeling from the death of 11-year-old Vihaan Shrivastava, who was killed on Tuesday after a tree fell on his school bus.

Mumbai, India. July 04, 2026 - Heavy rainfall caused a large tree to collapse on Peddar Road in South Mumbai. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar districts. Mumbai, India. July 04, 2026 (Photo by HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)

At Malabar Hill, an old banyan tree collapsed on L D Ruparel Marg at around 2.45 pm. The fall damaged the boundary wall of an adjoining property and crushed a parked car. The driver, who was in the vehicle at the time, escaped unhurt according to residents.

In Matunga, 55-year-old Anita Shirke suffered injuries to her head and right hand when a branch suddenly fell on her while she was walking. “My head is hurting a lot and I feel numb,” Shirke, a domestic help, told Hindustan Times. “I am heading to a private hospital to gauge the seriousness of my injuries.”

Arborist Nagesh Tekale said that despite hundreds of tree-fall incidents every year, the civic body still lacked a comprehensive plan to solve the problem. “The issue is that officials and departments looking after trees do not have the technical wherewithal,” he said. “Most of them don’t even know why a tree falls or what can be done to prevent future falls. Is the tree getting adequate sunlight? What is the condition of its roots? Is there construction activity around it? These are basic questions that need to be examined.”

Tekale added that unless there was a fundamental overhaul of the civic body’s tree department and it was staffed with trained arborists, the problem would persist. “There is also a lacuna in education and training,” he said. “There are very few institutions that offer specialised courses in tree management. If we have millions of trees and their maintenance is a matter of life and death, why shouldn’t educational institutions and civic bodies invest in this field?”

On May 16, 78-year-old Jiviben Patel suffered partial paralysis after a huge tree branch fell on her in Ghatkopar. Her son, Ashwin Patel, said the incident had severely affected her memory and quality of life. “Doctors have estimated that it will take nearly eight months for her to recover fully,” he said. “We have already spent around ₹6 lakh on her treatment and are worried about whether she will recover, given her age. Since the accident, Patel has avoided going anywhere near trees. “We are taught as kids that we should plant trees,” he said. “What is the point if they injure or kill us? If circumstances force me to walk near them, I almost run.”

Another tragedy struck in May when 15-year-old Aarika Shrivastava lost her life after a tree fell on her while she was travelling in a rickshaw. Her friend, Harshita Kumar, is still being treated at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital while her elder sister escaped with minor injuries.