Residents’ group in Mumbai’s Bandra inspects 189 trees, finds 49 dangerous

The ALM will have to spend Rs 69,000 to fix 49 trees, and close to Rs 2.25 lakh to fix all problems with all 189 trees inspected.

Forty-nine of the 189 trees on Mount Mary Road in Bandra are dangerous as they are infected by termites, a survey by members of the advanced locality management (ALM) in the area in the first week of June found.

Two incidents of tree collapse have been reported so far this monsoon. (HT File Photo)

Salima Kazani, a member of the ALM, said, “We wanted to finish the audit quickly. Knowing that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will take time, we hired a private agency to inspect all trees on Mount Mary road. Banyan, peepal, Ashoka, and a few Gulmohar trees were found to be infected.”

Asif Zakeria, Congress corpoprator from Bandra, has approached the civic body, asking them to appoint a botanist for each ward. “BMC needs to audit the trees procedurally, like we did. This can’t happen without a botanist, as only he would have the expertise,” Zakeria said. “BMC should have completed the task before the monsoon.”

The ALM will have to pay ₹69,000 on the 49 trees, and close to 2.25 lakh to fix all problems with the 189 trees. “Termites travel fast through soil. An ALM does not have the kind of money the pest control company has quoted,” said Kazani.

Two incidents of tree collapse have been reported this monsoon. Drishti Mungra, 13, died after a tree collapsed on her in Dahisar on Saturday. Shreya Raut, 20, suffered serious injuries after a Gulmohar tree fell on her in Shivaji Park on Saturday night.