Can Mumbai’s tree roots co-exist with utilities? BMC turns to IIT, MU for answers

The jump in tree collapses have claimed at least two lives within a span of a week. On June 30, 11-year-old Vihan Srivastava was killed after a large Peepal tree came crashing on his school van in Chembur while Yunush Kundawala (63), a resident of BKC’s Bharat Nagar, was killed when a tree collapsed upon his shop on July 5.

Speaking about the rising number of cases, Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide attributed the numbers to high wind speed sweeping the city amid a red alert with the speed soaring to 70-80 kmph in multiple pockets of the region.

However, taking cognisance of the rising number of tree collapses, Bhide on Tuesday said that the BMC has launched internal review meetings to review the health of Mumbai’s roadside trees. As per the 2018 tree census data, Mumbai is home to 29.75 lakh trees of which 2 lakh are situated along roadsides in public places.

According to Bhide, the civic body has reached out to experts from Mumbai University’s Life Sciences and Biodiversity department as well as IIT Bombay to determine how “Mumbai’s trees and underground utility systems can co-exist”.

“Mumbai’s 2 lakh roadside trees are vulnerable as they are situated largely along the footpaths, under which the utility lines surpass as well. Sometimes, the utility lines get entangled within the roots. We have to identify how we can make the roots as well as these underground utility lines so that the ecosystem of the tree remains healthy. We have already approached the Mumbai University and are also planning to seek help of IIT Mumbai experts to improve the tree systems,” Bhide said on Tuesday.

“We will look at how the tree roots can be safeguarded. We will address various aspects ranging from concretisation to root systems and explore options like tying of roots to prevent the problem,” said Bhide, adding that a large number of Mumbai’s road side trees entail banyan and peepal trees which have complex root systems.

At present, the civic body has started looking in the possibility of creating tree basins with soil around tree roots in certain pockets to improve their health and anchor them. “We have already explored such options in some areas like Malabar Hill. Now, we are looking into implementing such measures across larger spaces,” Bhide told reporters on Tuesday.

In the wake of the rising incidents of tree collapses in Mumbai, the BMC has launched an immediate survey to inspect all road-side trees at a ward level. The BMC has started reviewing its existing SOP for tree pruning.

The rising cases of tree collapses in Mumbai have rung alarm bells over the impact of concretisation drive wherein concrete laid upon tree basins restrict root growth and damages the zone.

Addressing concerns, Bhide said, “It will be incorrect to directly infer that concretisation is effecting the trees as concreting is done on the main carriageway while most trees are situated upon the footpaths.”