A committee set up by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed changes to improve the protection of trees during civic infrastructure projects. The panel has recommended making contractors and civic departments responsible for protecting trees affected by roadworks and other projects.
The committee has also suggested scientific monitoring of tree roots, the involvement of arborists, and greater participation from citizens through a new conservation programme.
The committee was appointed by Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide after many tree collapses. One of the incidents took place on June 30 in Chembur, where a tree fell on a school bus and killed an 11-year-old. The panel was asked to file a report within eight days to prevent such incidents.
According to civic sources, the report was submitted late on Thursday, July 9, to the office of an additional municipal commissioner. Here are the key recommendations mentioned:
* To include special clauses in all future civic infrastructure tenders, which would make both the contractor and the civic department responsible for protecting trees located along the alignment of any project.
* To carry out a scientific assessment before starting roadworks or utility-laying projects to study how the planned work could affect nearby tree roots.
* To get arborists and tree surgeons to supervise infrastructure projects and advise on changes in construction methods wherever needed.
* To launch a new programme called 'Vriksha Mitra', or Friends of Trees, under which organisations, citizens and volunteers can monitor and protect Mumbai's urban trees.
Interestingly, citizen-led tree conservation programmes are already active in cities such as Delhi and Hyderabad.
The proposal focuses especially on protecting tree roots, which are often damaged during road construction and utility works. As per sources, tree roots are frequently harmed during civic infrastructure projects. This weakens the trees and increases the risk of collapse.
Between October 2023 and March 2026, the BMC's Tree Authority issued 428 notices to different authorities for damaging tree roots. During the same period, officials found that the roots of 2,615 trees had been damaged during concretisation and excavation work.
A preliminary inspection after the Chembur incident found that the side roots of the fallen tree were still intact. However, its core roots had weakened and failed. As per records, the garden department of the M/West Ward had raised concerns over unscientific road digging around trees along Road No. 11, the same location where the fatal incident later occurred.
Mumbai has also recorded a sharp rise in tree-fall incidents during the current monsoon. In the first week of July alone, nearly 1,200 trees fell across the city. This is already around 30 per cent higher than the 855 such incidents reported during the entire 2025 monsoon season.
Three people have died in tree-collapse incidents in Mumbai this year, while several others have suffered injuries. Official records further show that at least 11 people have died in tree-collapse incidents between 2023 and July 5, 2026. In comparison, four people died in similar incidents between 2020 and 2022.
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