BMC can check, trim trees in your compound

Following a spate of incidents in which citizens were either injured or killed by falling branches of untrimmed trees, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to invoke a little-known provision in the BMC Act, 1888 that entitles it to trim trees inside private premises and recover costs from the owners of the premises.

Following a spate of incidents in which citizens were either injured or killed by falling branches of untrimmed trees, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to invoke a little-known provision in the BMC Act, 1888 that entitles it to trim trees inside private premises and recover costs from the owners of the premises.

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The civic body will start issuing notices to private owners and landlords in the next few days asking them to prune branches that may fall, said deputy municipal commissioner (gardens) Chandrashekhar Rokde.

The measure comes after a spate of incidents where branches of trees within private premises collapsed on to public roads, killing one and injuring two others.

Hindustan Times had first reported how 19-year-old Antara Telang lost her right leg when a branch of a Peepul tree came crashing down on her and 30-year-old Tamanna Bhojani’s backbone was crushed, and several of her vertebrae fractured when the branch of a Jamun tree fell on her.

Following HT’s reports, the BMC chief announced that a new tree-trimming mechanism would be in place by the end of September.