Mechanical tree trimming in Mumbai for safety of workers?

In a meeting of the civic tree authority on Tuesday, Abhijit Samant, a tree authority member, proposed a mechanised tool to trim and cut trees

With the increasing number of tree fall deaths, the Mumbai civic body has received a proposal to turn the trimming exercise into a mechanical one.

In a meeting of the civic tree authority on Tuesday, Abhijit Samant, a tree authority member, proposed a mechanised tool to trim and cut trees (FILE)

In a meeting of the civic tree authority on Tuesday, Abhijit Samant, a tree authority member, proposed a mechanised tool to trim and cut trees. “Structures and vehicles are damaged while cutting and trimming trees,” said Samant.

In July, a labourer lost his life after he fell from a height of around 20 feet while he was trimming a tree in Matunga. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) faced flak, after it was revealed that they don’t have enough hydraulic lifts to hoist the workers up. The BMC’s gardens department provides only one hydraulic lift which is to be shared between nine wards.

The members of the committee had cited the limitations of manual tree-cutting during the monsoon. The BMC had proposed Rs5 crore for it in the 2016-17 budget.

Civic officials said they will consider the proposal after it reaches them.