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Civic negligence alleged in tree collapse death
The incident occurred at around 8pm, when the man ducked under the canopy of a partially decaying tree
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MUMBAI: If the local civic administration in Vikhroli had heeded residents’ complaints and trimmed trees that needed pruning in a playground, Tejas Naidu, 26, may have been alive today. Naidu died on Monday night while sheltering under a tree in Ganesh Maidan in Vikhroli’s Kannamwar Nagar, during Monday’s downpour.
The incident occurred at around 8pm, when Naidu and two others ducked under the canopy of a partially decaying tree. As they waited for the rain to ease, the tree collapsed, striking Naidu, who was later declared dead at Godrej Hospital. The other two individuals escaped in time.
According to eyewitnesses and local residents, Naidu’s death could have been prevented if the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) gardens department had cut away the rotting portion of the tree. The tree, residents say, was not uprooted; the portion that fell had decayed and was weak.
The incident raises concerns about maintenance and safety inspections. “The BMC is solely responsible for this negligence,” said a local resident. “The tree didn’t fall from its roots; it broke from the decayed section. A criminal negligence complaint should be filed against the BMC official concerned.”
Residents alleged that no tree trimming had taken place in S Ward ahead of the monsoon. They claimed they had repeatedly complained to the local gardens department about rotting trees in Kannamwar Nagar but in vain.
A senior gardens department official acknowledged the incident, saying, “We had pruned the tree earlier, but its roots had decayed. It collapsed and fatally injured one person. The area is a playground, and due to heavy rains, people were taking shelter under it.”
