The Municipal Engineers' Association (MEA), Mumbai, has urged the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to revoke the suspension of two civic engineers following the fatal tree fall incident at Chembur, arguing that the action was unjustified and taken without a proper inquiry.
In a letter addressed to the Municipal Commissioner, the association objected to the suspension of Deputy Engineer Arun Munde and Assistant Engineer Yogesh Patil after a roadside tree collapsed on June 30 in Chembur, killing a schoolboy and injuring others.
The association said the incident occurred during heavy rain and strong winds and should be treated as a natural calamity rather than negligence by civic officials. It argued that holding engineers responsible before completing an investigation had caused them and their families mental distress.
According to the letter, the tree was more than 50 years old and there were no visible signs indicating that it was likely to collapse. The association claimed that road concreting work being carried out nearby was at a distance of over 2.5 metres from the tree and did not damage its roots. It also said the tree had remained stable throughout the monsoon season last year despite prolonged heavy rainfall.
The engineers' body stated that photographs taken before and after the incident indicate that the tree had naturally weakened over time due to age and adverse weather conditions. It maintained that there was no evidence to suggest that civic construction work had caused the collapse.
The association further pointed out that the BMC has already ordered a departmental inquiry into the incident and argued that suspending the engineers before the inquiry report is submitted is against established procedure.
The MEA has requested the Municipal Commissioner to immediately withdraw the suspension orders and await the findings of the inquiry committee before taking any disciplinary action.
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