Avoid taking shelter under trees during monsoon: BMC urges Mumbai citizens

As monsoon arrives in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started taking steps so that any untoward incident which may lead to loss of lives can be avoided. The civic body has put up posters at several places in the city and distributing leaflets to alert the citizens.

Branches of trees falling and even entire tree getting uprooted during heavy rains and thunder showers is a common incident in the city. These branches often fall over pedestrians taking shelter under a tree to save themselves from the rain causing severe injury and even loss of lives.

These branches also damage vehicles which have been parked under trees during heavy rains. In order to prevent such accidents, the BMC has taken an initiative to alert citizens by appealing to them to avoid taking shelter or parking their vehicles under trees during heavy rains.

Around 57 trees and branches collapsed in the first heavy rainfall which Mumbai experienced on Sunday night. Several lives have been lost in the past few years due to tree branches falling during monsoon, hence this initiative by the BMC.

Leaflet distribution, survey and pruning of trees by BMC

Not just putting posters, as part of this initiative, the BMC has also started distributing leaflets across Mumbai and its Eastern and Western suburbs, warning residents against standing under trees during rainfall and thunderstorms citing potential dangers which can be caused by a tree getting uprooted or branches falling.

As part of its pre-monsoon preparation, the civic body has already conducted a survey and pruned hazardous trees across Mumbai as per instructions from BMC Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani and Additional Municipal Commissioner (Eastern Suburbs) Dr. Amit Saini. The BMC’s Garden Department is also alerting citizens against parking their vehicles under trees during heavy rain or thunder showers.

Trees pruned across Mumbai ahead of monsoon

There are approximately 2,975,000 trees within the civic jurisdiction, with 186,246 lining the roads as per data from BMC’s Garden Department. In preparation for monsoon, 22,334 trees and branches were pruned as well as 433 dead or infested trees were removed last month. The civic body has issued notices to more than 4000 establishments for trimming of potentially hazardous trees in private as well as government-owned areas. Pruning has been done to over 2,400 trees across 52 locations by the BMC in collaboration with Central and Western Railways last month.

Citizens urged to contact BMC helpline

BMC is also urging citizens to contact on it helpline 1916 if they want to trim or prune potentially hazardous trees in their locality, within their housing society premises or on the roads. However, residents will have to obtain proper permission before pruning trees.