MUMBAI: Protecting the city’s urban forestry and the Gardens Department’s laxity in ensuring its health dominated the special general body meeting at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday, chaired by mayor Ritu Tawde.Mumbai, India. June 30, 2026 - Vihan Srivastav, an 11-year-old student, died, and four other children were injured when a large tree collapsed onto their school bus on Road No 11 in Chembur, Mumbai, India. June 30, 2026. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)Three people died due to tree falls during the recent torrential rains in Mumbai.The meeting was convened after Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) group leader Yashwant Killedar and other senior corporators initiated the session on the overall 11 monsoon-related deaths reported in the city this season. The members demanded accountability from the civic administration and called for measures to prevent further fatalities.Killedar led the discussion criticising the Gardens Department for failing in its responsibility toward maintaining the city’s trees. He called attention to the “flawed practice” of trimming branches only when a tree leans toward a building or a concrete structure, which places uneven weight on one side, increasing its likelihood to collapse. “Instead trees should be pruned uniformly in a circular manner, in line with recommendations made by arborists,” said Killedar.He also demanded that the BMC undertake a comprehensive pre-monsoon audit of all trees and make the findings public. Killedar further argued that tree falls were not solely linked to concretisation of roads, as corporators had earlier suggested. “They were also caused by damage to roots during utility works,” he said. He alleged that utility agencies, including power companies that create deep trenches for laying cables, often damage the roots compromising a tree’s stability. “If such excavation results in a tree collapsing and causing death, those responsible should face charges of culpable homicide,” Killedar told the House.Ashraf Azmi called for the deployment of global advanced technologies to maintain the city’s trees, arguing that a lack of coordination between civic departments and external agencies had rendered the trees the “ultimate casualty” of administrative miscoordination. To address this, he proposed appointing a dedicated ‘coordination officer’ in every ward to ensure better planning and communication among departments and utility agencies.AIMIM group leader Vijay Ubale questioned why the tree-trimming exercise is conducted during monsoons at all, when trees are under great stress anyway. Referring to deaths caused by falling trees, he alleged the “civic administration had shielded errant contractors” and said “those responsible for tree falls leading to deaths be treated as committing murder”.On the other hand, Kurla corporator Saeeda Khan said the recent suspension of civic officials following the Sakinaka manhole death had created anxiety among upright officers, “who are now apprehensive about taking any decision”. While underscoring the need for accountability, she said, “Suspensions are not the solution if the civic administration has to function efficiently during such a crucial time.”Several corporators echoed the demand for stricter action against contractors found responsible for deaths linked to civic negligence, and others suggested manhole covers be installed immediately as required.The meeting was on till the time of going to press. Versova corporator Yashodhar Phanse and others were censorious of BMC commissioner Ashwini Bhide’s absence from the meeting till 11:30 pm, despite Tawde’s assurance that she would join soon. Additional municipal commissioners (western and eastern suburbs) Vipin Sharma and Avinash Dhakne, respectively, represented the administration.