Chembur Tree Collapse Inquiry Clears BMC Officials and Fines Two Contractors
An inquiry committee has cleared Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials of blame in the fatal June 30 tree collapse on Road number 11, Chembur East, which killed 11-year-old Vihan Shrivastav. The probe instead recommended fining the appointed safety and maintenance contractors a combined Rs 7 lakh for negligence and failing to take sufficient precautions during excavation works.
The incident occurred when a 60-year-old roadside Peepal tree uprooted and crashed onto a Universal High School bus carrying 13 children. The tragedy resulted in the death of Shrivastav and left four other students injured.
In the aftermath of the accident, municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide suspended M-West ward assistant superintendent of gardens Jagdish Bhoir, sub-engineer of roads Arun Munde, and assistant engineer of roads Yogesh Parte for prima facie negligence.
However, the two-member investigation committee, comprising deputy municipal commissioners Purshottam Malwade and Shahank Bhore, found no evidence of fault on the part of the garden or roads departments.
According to the report, the garden department had regularly inspected the area and pruned pre-monsoon trees. While storm water drain (SWD) work was underway near the tree between January and March 2025, the roads department had constructed the drain at a safe distance to protect the tree and prevent water stagnation.
The committee instead held the external contractors responsible. M/s. Gawar Construction Limited was fined Rs 5 lakh for failing to take sufficient precautions during excavation, despite receiving written warnings from the roads department about their liability.
Additionally, M/s Mahimtura Consultant, tasked with technical supervision and monitoring, was fined Rs 2 lakh. The committee found that the consultant failed to maintain adequate supervision and did not point out safety shortcomings.
To prevent future tragedies, the committee proposed 25 safety measures and three recommendations. These include conducting periodic tree risk assessments before and after monsoons, creating a GIS-based tree inventory, protecting roots scientifically during construction, and minimizing concrete around tree bases to ensure soil permeability.
