After the loss of 22 lives due to incidents of tree-fall, the civic body seems to have woken up. It is planning to draft a policy to avoid such incidents in the future.
After the loss of 22 lives due to incidents of tree-fall, the civic body seems to have woken up. It is planning to draft a policy to avoid such incidents in the future.
After a woman and her six-month-old daughter died on Sunday night when an old Banyan tree fell on them, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is giving serious thought to this issue and is trying to frame a policy which will save the trees as well as people.
According to the new policy, there will be some restrictions on the digging of roads and footpath. Many a times while carrying out excavation work on a road or on a footpath, the roots of the tree get damaged. This weakens the tree, leading to its fall.
There will be no concretisation at the base of the tree, no tar will be used for resurfacing the road or the footpath within a one-and-a-half metre radius of the tree and under the ground at the base of the tree there will be only soil up to three metres, as per the policy.
Also, while planting new trees, there will be clear norms as to how much distance should kept between the tree and road.
“The new norms will be applicable to housing societies as well, which plants trees in their compound,” said Aseem Gupta, additional municipal commissioner.
“Permission for cutting or trimming trees will be awarded within 14 days. Any officer who fails to give permission within the stipulated time will be held responsible for such incidents,” Gupta added.
From 2000 to July 17, 2011, 5,631 trees have fallen in the island city, 2,952 in eastern suburbs and 6,074 in western suburbs. In 2006, eight people lost their lives due to such incidents, the highest in a year, while the highest number of injured people — 27 — was in 2001 and 2009.
In the last 11 years, 14,657 trees have fallen across the city, injuring 161 people and killing 22.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}