22 April,2024 10:35 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Pic/File
Ahead of the monsoon season in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has pruned 22,334 large and potentially hazardous tree branches, reported the PTI.
The Mumbai civic body has also issued tree-trimming notices to 4,909 establishments situated in private and government-owned areas, as per a release.
According to the PTI, the Garden Department has commenced the systematic and scientific pruning of branches from large and dangerous trees as a precautionary measure ahead of monsoon, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
Mumbai has approximately 29.75 lakh trees under the BMC's jurisdiction and 15, 51,132 of them are located on private properties, while 10, 67,641 are on the government premises.
"Of the 1,862,246 trees lining the roadside, 1,13,534 required trimming and a total of 22,334 trees had already been pruned by April 19, while the pruning of the remaining trees will be completed by June 7," as per the release, as per the PTI.
The Mumbai civic body has also removed 386 of the 433 dead, infested or bent trees to address safety hazards.
It said the progress of tree trimming has been impeded by vehicles parked along roadsides and also urged citizens to cooperate by relocating parked vehicles.
In the past few years, some people have died and many others were injured due to the tree-fall incidents during the rainy season.
BMC issues notices for pre-monsoon tree trimming
Earlier this month, BMC had issued 1,855 notices to private premises, government, and semi-government organisations for trimming dangerous trees on their premises before the monsoon. Till April 8, the BMC had trimmed around 12,446 trees within BMC premises.
According to BMC data, the target is to trim 1.11 lakh dangerous trees that could potentially fall during the monsoon. The BMC had trimmed 12,446 trees, and the remaining 99,203 trees is to be trimmed before June 7, 2024.
BMC officials stated that before trimming trees on private or government property, concerned individuals should obtain permission from the BMC.
Notices were also issued where dangerous trees were identified. The responsibility for trimming trees on housing society premises, private properties, and government land lies with the respective authority, landowner, or society, the officials had earlier said.
(with PTI inputs)
