550 trees fell in city this monsoon, says tree department

MUMBAI: While officials from the tree department said that of the more than 1,200 complaints registered in the city, only 550 could be classified as tree falls.

MUMBAI: While officials from the tree department said that of the more than 1,200 complaints registered in the city, only 550 could be classified as tree falls. “there were several complaints this monsoon of branch falls that were treated as tree fall complaints by residents. There is a huge difference between the two, but fatal incidents were lesser than what was witnessed in the previous years,” said Jitendra Pardeshi, superintendent of gardens.

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On the other hand, botanists said tree fall incidents would have been much more as contractors hired by the civic body’s garden department continue to use unscientific techniques to prune tree branches. “Improper trimming forces trees to become slanted. This alters their original form and balance, which leads to tree fall during bad weather conditions,” said Marselin Almeida, botanist.