BMC Awards ₹42.24 Crore Tree Contracts to Firms Lacking Arboriculture Expertise
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has awarded contracts worth ₹42.24 crore to private construction and infrastructure firms for pruning and removing dead and dangerous trees across 23 municipal wards from May 2026 to May 2027, excluding the H-East ward in Bandra East where a contractor is yet to be appointed. The decision has raised concerns over public safety and tree care quality, as the contracts were secured at an average of 45% below the BMC's estimated value by firms that critics say lack specialized expertise in arboriculture or urban forestry.
The BMC's estimated cost for the tenders was ₹76.82 crore, but the final contracts were awarded for ₹34.6 crore less than the estimate. This significant reduction in value has prompted questions from local corporators and activists regarding the quality of work that will be delivered.
D S Infrastructure emerged as the largest beneficiary of the contracts, securing five tenders worth approximately ₹9.77 crore. Other firms, including S Pol Enterprises, HnH Associates, Mars Infra Projects, and R.S. Construction, won two tenders each. Together, these five firms secured 13 of the 24 ward contracts.
According to the BMC's mandate, bidding companies must be financially stable, have prior experience in government garden works, and employ at least one qualified horticulturist. A junior tree officer from the BMC garden department defended the awards, stating that the successful bidders met all required eligibility conditions.
However, critics and experts have expressed strong reservations about the outsourcing process. Vaibhav Raje, an ISA certified arborist and director of TreeCotech Ltd, pointed out that the winning bidders are construction or transport firms rather than specialized tree-care companies. Raje noted that these firms do not employ proper arboriculture experts or follow safe, scientific pruning standards, leading to haphazard pruning on the ground.
AIMIM corporator Zameer Qureshi from the M East ward also questioned how the work could be performed at 45% below the official estimate without compromising on manpower and quality.
Historically, tree maintenance in Mumbai was handled by the civic garden department's own staff and traditional gardeners (maalis). Niranjan Shetty, a former member of the Tree Authority, argued that outsourcing has undermined the city's tree care capability, noting that the BMC's own maalis possess generations of practical knowledge.
The debate over tree maintenance comes amid ongoing safety concerns. Between 2015 and June 2026, Mumbai recorded 12 major tree-fall incidents that resulted in 13 deaths and 18 serious injuries. The wards of H-East (Santacruz East), M-West (Chembur), T Ward (Mulund), and P-North (Malad West) accounted for 10 of these deaths and 15 of the injuries.
