Sanatan Prabhat > Post Type > News > National News > Trees falling during the monsoon is a man-made disaster : Mr Abhishek Murukate, Coordinator, Surajya Abhiyan

Trees falling during the monsoon is a man-made disaster : Mr Abhishek Murukate, Coordinator, Surajya Abhiyan

Demand to register cases of culpable homicide against those endangering citizens' lives by suffocating tree roots

Mr Satish Kocharekar (left) and Mr Abhishek Murukate addressing the press conference

Mumbai – The recurring incidents of trees collapsing during the monsoon are not merely natural disasters but man-made disasters caused by illegal concretisation around tree roots, negligent tree pruning, administrative apathy and blatant violations of the orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Mr Abhishek Murukate, Maharashtra State Coordinator of Surajya Abhiyan, said at a press conference held in Mumbai. Drawing attention to the increasing number of tree-fall incidents across the State, he raised serious questions about the accountability of the administration. Mr Satish Kocharekar, spokesperson of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, was also present.

Mr Abhishek Murukate said:

1. Every year during the monsoon, hundreds of trees collapse, roads are blocked, vehicles are damaged, citizens are injured and innocent people lose their lives. Yet every time, the matter is closed by attributing it merely to heavy rain or strong winds. However, no investigation is conducted into why the trees became weak internally, whether their roots received sufficient air and water, or whether their structural stability had been assessed.

2. On the occasion of World Earth Day, Surajya Abhiyan held press conferences in Mumbai, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Solapur to highlight this serious issue.

3. Memorandums were submitted to the District Collectors, Commissioners, Chief Officers and Tree Officers in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur and Jalgaon demanding an immediate de-concretisation drive.

4. The memorandums clearly stated that causing damage to trees is a punishable offence under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975. They also demanded that if illegal concretisation around tree roots causes a tree to collapse, resulting in loss of life or property, the concerned Executive Engineers and contractors should be held personally accountable. However, these prior warnings were inexcusably ignored.

5. Except for isolated initiatives such as the “Tree Protection Campaign”, the practice of laying concrete, asphalt and paving blocks around tree trunks during road construction, footpath works, drainage works, metro projects, redevelopment and beautification projects continues unabated.

6. When a tree falls, people see only the consequence. Its roots have already been suffocated long before that. The real question is not the rain; it is who is preventing the roots of the trees from breathing.

7. Illegal concretisation around tree roots and negligence in tree pruning are disturbing the natural balance of trees. Although a tree may appear green and healthy externally, its structural support becomes weak from within, causing it to collapse suddenly. In such cases, merely registering offences of negligence against the concerned officials and contractors is not sufficient. They should instead be booked for culpable homicide under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and held accountable.

Register cases against contractors and the concerned officials as well – Mr Satish Kocharekar

1. On 30 June, an 11-year-old boy, Vihaan Srivastava, died on the spot after a huge peepal tree fell on a school bus in Chembur. Earlier, on 10 May, a 15-year-old girl, Arika Srivastava, died after a tree fell on an auto-rickshaw on Linking Road in Khar. Subsequently, eight people were injured when a tree collapsed within the premises of a private building near Raheja College in Santacruz (West). Large banyan trees also collapsed near Churchgate Railway Station and in the Marine Lines area.

2. According to official reports, 91 incidents involving fallen trees and large branches were recorded in Mumbai during the recent monsoon period. Of these, 13 occurred in the city, 22 in the eastern suburbs and 56 in the western suburbs. These figures reflect the seriousness of the situation.

3. A joint survey conducted under the supervision of the Bombay High Court found that 65 per cent of roadside trees are trapped in concrete. The Bombay High Court also expressed strong displeasure over 3,691 trees being encased in cement.

4. Criminal cases should also be registered against the contractors and the concerned officials for violating the orders of the National Green Tribunal.

Demands made by Surajya Abhiyan

1. Structural assessment of tree root systems should be carried out across the State.

2. Scientific investigation into the root cause of every tree-fall incident should be made mandatory.

3. Criminal action should be initiated against the guilty officials and contractors responsible for illegal concretisation around trees.

4. An order mandating at least one metre of exposed soil around every tree should be implemented immediately.

5.  A special statewide de-concretisation campaign should be undertaken and its action report should be made public.

6. An independent third-party audit of all tree plantation and transplantation carried out over the past three years should be conducted and its report should be placed before the public.

Mr Murukate also warned, “Putting up signboards promoting tree conservation on one hand while burying tree roots beneath concrete on the other is hypocrisy that must now end. This is not merely an environmental issue; it is a serious matter concerning the safety of citizens. If effective measures are not taken immediately, further stringent steps will be taken through legal proceedings, contempt petitions and public awareness movements.”

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