BMC survey identifies old trees ahead of monsoon

Mumbai Ahead of the monsoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated a survey of trees to identify the old and imbalanced ones and prevent them from decaying due to pest infestation.

During last year’s cyclone Tauktae in May, close to 800 trees were uprooted. Senior BMC officials said that this survey is a pre-emptive measure to identify the decaying parts of the trees and prune them as per requirement to minimise damage during monsoon.

“The inspection is going on in all the 24 municipal wards. We are checking if there is any cavity in the roots or if there is any decay in the trunks or branches. If we find any, we will figure out ways to treat or prune them as per requirement. If timely pruning is not done, these branches would decay and may collapse during monsoon, causing serious damage to lives and properties,” said Jeetendra Pardeshi, tree officer and superintendent of the garden cell in BMC.

He added that the inspection will continue for the next two months as the BMC has set a target of May 30.

Pardeshi said that Mumbai has 30,00,000 trees, out of which 1,80,000 are on the roadside. He maintained that the BMC has appointed contractors who are carrying out surveys at the ground level. The BMC has also sent out appeals to residential societies and corporate firms to check and carry out inspection of the trees in their premises.

“We said if any society or corporate organisation doesn’t have the resources to carry out inspection, then they will have to contact the BMC, after which pruning will be done at a cost paid by the society,” Pardeshi said. He also maintained that every year, local wards receive at least 300 requests from private property owners for inspection and pruning.

Senior officials also maintained that horticulturists and tree officers are also checking if the balance of the trees are okay. The officials said that as spring and summer are the breeding season of pests, chances of infection and cavity formation in trees are higher.

“For example, in coconut trees, the decay happens in the top-most portion, which cannot be seen through naked eyes. We are using makeshift ladders where our workers can climb for a closer look of the trees. We are also fumigating the surface with solutions to prevent erosion from pests,” said the official.