City’s first tree fall death in Ghatkopar East after society neglects to prune it

A case will be registered against Kailash Niwas society for negligence in following the BMC’s notice to trim the peepal tree

Updated on: Jan 10, 2025, 06:50:14 IST

By Linah Baliga

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Mumbai: The city witnessed the year’s first tree fall death in Ghatkopar East even before the onset of monsoon, on Thursday evening due to negligence of a housing society who failed to trim a 50-year-old peepal tree inside their premises, despite notice from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)

Mumbai, India - Jan. 9, 2025: A 60 year old woman died while another was injured after a branch of a dead tree in a private garden fell on them. The women were rushed to Rajawadi Hospital in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, January 9, 2025. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The incident occurred at 6.01pm near Lavender Bough hotel on 90 feet road. Meenakshi Shah, 72, and her friend Vandana Shah, 56, were taking an evening stroll in Garodia Nagar Welfare Federation’s recreation ground (RG) plot. A peepal tree from the adjoining Kailash Niwas CHS plot, came crashing down on the women’s heads. The two were rushed to Rajawadi Hospital where Meenakshi was declared brought dead and her body is sent for postmortem. Vandana suffered head injuries and was sent for an MRI scan.

A tree officer from N ward confirmed with HT that the peepal tree fell on the RG plot of Garodia Nagar Welfare Federation. “The peepal tree was in the premises of Kailash Niwas CHS building. The tree was 50 years old, but the building had failed to prune and trim the tree.” The tree officer added that the BMC had issued a notice to the society for pruning and trimming in April 2024, which was ignored as the society failed to take remedial action.

A case will be registered against Kailash Niwas society for negligence in following the BMC’s notice to trim the peepal tree and further action will be initiated by the Ghatkopar police.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Raghunath Baliga
Leena Raghunath Baliga (byline: Linah Baliga) is Associate Editor with nearly two decades of experience in journalism,and has earlier worked with TOI, DNA and Mumbai Mirror specialising in civic affairs, urban governance and political reporting. Based in Mumbai, she has looked into the functioning of civic administration, public policy and governance, with a particular focus on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), urban infrastructure, housing, redevelopment and city planning. Over the years, she has consistently reported on issues that directly impact citizens, including municipal administration, public health, BEST, environmental concerns, major infrastructure projects and state government policies affecting urban development. Her reporting combines on-ground reporting, making complex civic and governance issues accessible to readers while ensuring accountability in civic administration. She has extensively covered political developments that shape urban policy. Her work has also focused on redevelopment policies, affordable housing and the implementation of major infrastructure projects across Mumbai.She continues to chronicle the evolving and changing landscape of Asia's richest municipal corporation. When she isn't chasing stories or poring over civic documents, she enjoys dabbling in art and unwinding with music. An avid rock 'n' roll enthusiast, she has an anachronistic taste in music, with a playlist that happily skips across decades, filled with timeless classics.Read More

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