On receiving a request from Dadar residents to prune one of their neighbours' trees, the BMC asked them to do the necessary research work but later claimed that privately-owned trees aren't its responsibility
On receiving a request from Dadar residents to prune one of their neighbours' trees, the BMC asked them to do the necessary research work but later claimed that privately-owned trees aren't its responsibility
While weakened trees continue to collapse this monsoon, damaging life and property, a group of zealous residents from Dadar requested the BMC to trim overgrown branches of a neighbour's tree.
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The branches of the tree that residents claim are
protruding from the plot next to Ravji Nivas in Dadar
The civic body decided to give them some homework in return, asking them to send snapshots of the tree, obtain a no-objection certificate from the property owner, and inform them of the serial number of the tree on the premises.
But the residents have refused to comply with the BMC, marring the chances of the corporation coming to their rescue.
The civic body's response was off-putting from the safety perspective, considering that yesterday itself, a tree came crashing down on a house in Antop Hill, injuring five. On June 17, a giant tree had uprooted to suddenly fall on a mother and child, killing both.
Residents of Ravji Nivas (C wing), a Dadar locality, had requested the BMC to prune a tree in Kowliwadi,u00a0the branches of which were dangling precariously from the plot on the other side of their building's boundary.
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In response, the BMC officials demanded that they revert with pictures of the tree in question, a no-objection certificate from the property owner, and the serial number of the tree that they wanted to put under the axe.
Kennedy D'Souza, one of the concerned residents, said, "The branches of the tree keep getting dislodged from the trunk, falling inside our premises.
Our building is very old, and these branches may cause severe damage to the structure.
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The tree is old and has turned weak its branches are rotting and its surroundings have turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
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After the residents sent a letter to BMC G-South ward requesting them to take action, they asked us for all kinds of documentation. This is the BMC's job, not mine. Why should we have to do all this?"
Another resident of Ravji Niwas, Edward Rodrigues, said, "The branches of the tree were entering through my window, as a result of which I had to seal them with Plaster of Paris."
Milind Kowli, co-owner of the Jakadevi area, said, "Yes the branches of the tree were entering into our premises.
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I sent a letter to BMC requesting them to trim its branches, but we received a letter asking us to take care of it on our own.
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We inquired about the expected cost of the trim from private contractors, and they asked for Rs 7,000. Since the BMC doesn't hesitate to take property taxes from us, they should do this work themselves."
The Other Side
A BMC official from the Garden Department, in-charge of the G-South Ward, said, on condition of anonymity, "The BMC is not responsible for trimming trees on private premises. We are only responsible for pruning those trees that are on the roads, which are many in number. If by chance our men cause any damage to the privately-owned trees, then we will have to take responsibility."
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