Chembur tree collapse: Clean chit for all; contractor, consultant penalised

Contractor did not observe caution while excavating, but strong winds and heavy rain may have also caused tree to topple

MUMBAI: The inquiry into the Chembur tree collapse that killed 11-year-old Vihaan Srivastava on June 30 has recommended penalties against the contractor and consultant working on a storm water drain project at the site, but stopped short of holding them responsible, citing other contributing factors. The committee has also given the civic roads and garden departments a clean chit.

Mumbai, India. June 30 2026 - File Photo of Vihan Srivastav. An 11-year-old student, Vihan Srivastav, died, and four other children were injured when a large tree collapsed onto their school bus on Road No. 11 in Chembur, Mumbai, India. June 30, 2026. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)

The panel, whose report has been accepted by municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide, found that the contractor, Gawar Construction Ltd, failed to exercise adequate caution while excavating near the roots of the peepal tree for the storm water drain project, despite repeated warnings from the civic roads department.

It has recommended a ₹5-lakh penalty against the firm and a ₹2-lakh penalty against the project’s supervision consultant, Mahimtura Consultants, for failing to adequately oversee the work.

The two-member inquiry committee comprised deputy municipal commissioners Purushottam Malawade and Shashank Bhore, who inspected the Chembur site with horticulture and landscape consultant Robert Fernandes before submitting its report. The panel said heavy rainfall, strong winds and the condition of the tree may have contributed to the tree’s collapse.

The report says Gawar Construction Ltd had been instructed by the roads department on March 9, 2026, to exercise caution while excavating near the tree. However, the firm did not have the required safeguards in place.

On other contributing factors, the report stated that records of the civic Disaster Management Department showed that the area where the tree collapsed had received 62.8mm of rainfall on June 28, 71.6mm on June 29, and another 13.6mm by 3 pm on June 30, when the tree toppled. Winds of 25.7kmph were recorded at the time of the incident, the report added.

The committee also said an unusually high number of trees and branches had fallen across the city during the same weather spell between June 28 and July 5. There were 1,158 such incidents. Considering these factors, “it would not be appropriate to hold the contractor entirely responsible”, the report said.

The committee said the garden department had periodically inspected the area and carried out pre-monsoon pruning. It had also written to the roads department twice, on April 9, 2025 and on January 27, 2026, asking them to protect the tree during the storm-water drain work.

However, the inquiry committee let the roads department off the hook, saying it had “taken reasonable engineering precautions”. Road engineers had modified the storm-water drain’s alignment after discovering that the tree lay in the path of the proposed drain. Instead of disturbing the tree, the department had maintained a safe distance from its trunk, to preserve both the tree and the continuity of the drain so that storm water could flow unhindered, the report stated.

However, the committee found shortcomings in the supervision of the project, stating that Mahimtura Consultants should have ensured that the contractor followed the prescribed safety measures and maintained the stability of the tree during excavation.

Beyond fixing responsibility, the inquiry report has proposed sweeping reforms for urban tree management and recommended Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the inspection, protection and maintenance of trees impacted by infrastructure projects, to be prepared by the civic garden department with the assistance of tree experts.

The committee has recommended the appointment of certified tree experts during excavation and pruning work. It has also called for strict compliance with the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Preservation and Protection of Trees Act, 1975, and the municipal commissioner’s July 3 circular on protecting existing trees during infrastructure development.