Lack of experts worsening rot in BMC’s tree maintenance system

Nearly 98% of agencies hired by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to care for trees in Mumbai have no expertise in the field. The BMC allows any registered vendor to bid for tree care, as long as they have at least one horticulturist on staff. However, most contractors are involved in other jobs, mainly construction work. This lack of expertise has been attributed to the recent deaths caused by tree collapses during the monsoon season. Arborists have called for a change in the selection criteria to ensure that qualified experts are hired to maintain the city's trees.

Strap: Nearly 98% agencies are developers or private contractors with civil engineering and construction background with no expertise to care, maintain trees

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Mumbai: There have been four deaths this monsoon due to incidents of tree collapse. While the civic body has cited a host of factors such as inclement weather and incessant rainfall in July, the bigger culprit appears to lie in a systemic fault in selecting contractors for the delicate task of tree care and safety.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is spending ₹41.21crore this year in 24 administrative wards for annual protection and maintenance of trees, removal of dead and dangerous trees and branches from public as well as private premises.

However, 98% agencies appointed by the civic body are developers or private contractors with civil engineering and construction background who ostensibly have no expertise to care and maintain trees.

Under its existing policy, the BMC allows any registered vendor to bid for tree care to encourage fair competition and ensure more bidders. The criterion laid down by the BMC is that the interested contractors ought to have at least one well-trained horticulturist on their payroll.

This means most contractors picked by the BMC for looking after the city’s green cover are engaged in various other jobs, mainly construction work.

When queried about the criterion to bid, senior civic official, said, “Any contractor who is a registered vendor can bid and win the contract as is the case for all tenders. He has to then get a team with expertise in horticulture, but only after bagging the contract.”

It’s only in C ward in Marine Lines and D ward in Malabar Hill that Rathod Potteries and Nurseries is appointed to do the job. When Hindustan Times contacted the company, the owner did not want to divulge details on the nature of work assigned but confirmed bagging the contract.

Maval Construction bagged the contract for K east ward in Andheri East and R central ward in Borivali. Likewise, for H east ward in Bandra East, Arvind Infra Projects was appointed and Eric Infra Project in H West ward in Bandra West.

Their scope of work involves survey of dead and dangerous trees; removal and disposal of dead, dangerous and fallen trees; balance the trees by trimming/pruning works; protection of trees from pests and diseases by applying suitable plant protection measures; transplantation of trees, and to lift and dispose unclaimed tree cutting.

A civic official from the BMC’s garden department said, “Basically standard bid document conditions are there like in case of all tenders. He (contractor) must appoint a horticulturist on his company schedule on payroll. They must have the required qualifications of being a botanist or a horticulturist as is mentioned in the tender.”

According to the BMC’s tender document, the appointed agency should achieve an average annual financial turnover as certified by a ‘chartered accountant’ equal to 30% of the estimated cost of work in last three financial years immediately preceding the financial year in which bids are invited.

Vaibhav Raje, arborist and founding partner Treecotech said that probably one of the reasons for appointing civil contractors and developers for annual tree maintenance is because they have a big turnover to be qualified and the technical qualification comes at a later stage.

“As a horticulturist and an arborist if I start building roads, will that be accepted? If anyone can start pruning trees, I will start building roads in Mumbai. It is as simple as that. I will also get a team of engineers and architects and as an arborist will start taking contracts for road and bridge building,” said Raje.

Also, before private contractors came into the picture, the BMC’s junior tree officers (JTOs) were a part of city’s tree care efforts in keeping with the BMC Tree Act 1881. The civic body’s own staff and gardeners used to identify dangers to public safety besides pruning or cutting unstable tree branches.

Raje said the civic authorities have still not understood that urban tree management requires special practise, knowledge and approach and that will happen only through arboriculture.

“Horticulture and forestry are good for general maintenance of landscaped trees but when it comes to urban trees, a certified arborist is a person who will help you through the whole maintenance process,” said Raje.

“Arborist will help right from the risk assessment, identifying the problem in the tree, how to prune the tree in a safe manner, minimise the risk and in carrying out an internal diagnosis,” said Raje.

“I do not see any expertise and it reflects on the road in tree pruning. One cannot expect a civil contracting company or a builder to be an expert in tree pruning,” added Raje.

The technical expert should be on board not after bagging the contract, but the criterion should be a part of the qualification condition.

“Is there a system in place through which the BMC can check if the contractors eventually get horticultural experts on board after they bag the contract?” asked Raje.