18 September,2026 07:34 AM IST | Mumbai | Eeshanpriya MS
A dilapidated katta or basin around a tree on Baburao Parulekar Road in Prabhadevi. Following the Chembur tragedy, a panel of experts recommended installing such structures to avert collapses; (inset) An example of what a restored katta will look like. Pics/By Special Arrangement
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is piloting the reinstatement of tree basins for at least 50 native trees on Baburao Parulekar Road in Prabhadevi, some of which are estimated to be 50 to 60 years old and are of native variety, in a move that can set a precedent for Mumbai's tree-lined footpaths.
All trees are surrounded by âkattas' or barrier walls about two feet in height, and the enclosure is filled with soil to support tree growth. After the recent road concreting work, BMC officials from the G North ward noticed haphazard concreting around the trees.
As the parapets have cracked, soil has either been washed away or solidified amidst other items such as garbage and plastic.Not all trees on this road have a clear 1x1-metre patch of soil around their base, and in some cases, the roots have outgrown the parapet.
A katta or basin around a tree on Baburao Parulekar Road in Prabhadevi. Following the Chembur tragedy, a panel of experts recommended installing such structures. Pic/By Special Arrangement
The project is being undertaken by the G North ward's maintenance department. Officials plan to demolish the kattas, clean the soil of garbage deposits and concrete, revive the soil health, and reinstate the basins. A grill will be placed over the structures to ensure they are not used for seating and prevent littering and storage of other items by hawkers and nearby stall owners.
As per the latest decisions taken by the civic body to preserve the health of trees lining footpaths, their roots cannot be enclosed within parapets.
However, a senior civic official said, "In this case, as the basins were constructed earlier and already exist over many years, the roots of these trees have grown inside them. If the parapets are now permanently removed, the roots will be exposed to the surroundings, above ground. So we have to retain this design."
The official added, "These are also very old trees. Some of them are of smaller variety or medium height, and some of them are tall. Through this project, we are trying to ensure they will survive in good health for many more years, as an equivalent of reporting a plant."
According to information from BMC, if the project is successful on Baburao Parulekar Road, it will be replicated on various other roads in Dadar and Prabhadevi that have tall and old trees lining footpaths.
Among the recommendations made in the first report submitted by a panel of experts to the civic body following the tree collapse on a school bus in Chembur on June 30, which killed an 11-year-old child, tree basins require a dedicated, unpaved open space around the base of every tree to ensure roots can absorb essential air, water, and nutrients.
Additionally, pouring concrete directly against tree trunks has been prohibited, and existing excess concrete within root zones is to be removed to prevent root suffocation.
The report stated, "To ensure root health, proper aeration, and water percolation, excessive concreting around tree trunks should be minimised by maintaining permeable soil."
