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BMC has to help, cooperate in pruning trees: Jogeshwari's Housing society

The society had been sent a notice by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in April asking it to trim some trees, but it was ignored.

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Jogeshwari's Takshashila Society, which has attracted infamy after a passerby died when a tree rooted on the premises fell on him, spends Rs 70,000-90,000 to trim trees every year. The sum can take care of most of the 17-acre society's 700 trees, many of which lilt outside its compound walls. But residents say they need the civic authority's cooperation to maintain the flora, which is 30 to 40 years old.

The society had been sent a notice by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in April asking it to trim some trees, but it was ignored. On Thursday morning, a Gulmohar on the premises fell on 48-year-old Anil Ghosalkar, who succumbed to his injuries the same day.

The incident once again raised the question: Whose responsibility is it to prune trees on private land?

"The society, built in the '80s, acts proactively in such cases. Many trees here are old and tilting. But when we had sought permission to cut some dangerous trees, the civic body denied it," said a society members, asking not to be named.

The society's managing committee currently stands dissolved, leaving its 33 buildings and nearly 1,000 members under the charge of an administrator since Saturday.

Its members were reluctant to talk openly. But a resident said anonymously, "Last year, two trees including a coconut tree fell down. This year, two big ones were uprooted. There are still a dozen trees that can't withstand strong winds. If we aren't allowed to trim them, who will answer if they fall on someone?"

The BMC, which has contracted trimming of trees on its land for Rs 45 crore a year, provides the service to others for a fee. But many object to this policy.

Abhijeet Samant, corporator and member of the BMC's Tree Authority, said the civic body has to help out with maintenance of private foliage.

"Private societies, particularly small buildings, can't expend Rs 5,000 to 10,000 per tree. If BMC promotes plantation in private societies, it should also provide a helping hand to maintain them. At least, allow us to use corporator's funds for this," Samant said.

A former office-bearer of Takshashila Society said that while they don't have an issue spending money on maintenance, smaller societies can't afford it.

"We spend money on trimming trees, and on their transport, as much as up to Rs 7,000 per truck. The society also spends on gardeners' salaries and other upkeep. But this is not so with small societies, which so need help from the BMC."

A civic ward officer told DNA, "Many times, there are issues between society member when some oppose trimming. Even we face opposition while trimming trees on the road. Even if BMC makes it a policy to help private societies, who will solve such issues?"

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