Mumbai: Mumbai mayor Ritu Tawade on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction with the BMC’s inquiry report into the Chembur tree crash that claimed the life of 11-year-old Vihaan Srivastava, saying the findings did not go far enough in fixing accountability. BJP MLC Chitra Wagh also strongly criticised the report, calling it “tragic, infuriating and completely unacceptable.” State revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule of BJP said if the report is flawed, a committee comprising high-level officials will reinvestigate the case.The 3-member BMC committee set up to probe the June 30 tragedy gave a clean chit to the civic roads and gardens departments while recommending a collective penalty of Rs 7 lakh for negligence on the contractor and the consultant for stormwater drain works undertaken near the site.Referring to the penalty, Tawade said no amount of money could compensate for the loss of a child’s life. She added that though BJP was in office in the civic body, it would not defend the administration if the inquiry was found inadequate.She was supported by Wagh, who in a post on X questioned whether “the life of the common man has become so cheap”. Wagh alleged that the report sought to hide official lapses by blaming nature while shielding the contractor. She said those responsible had effectively valued an innocent child’s life at Rs 7 lakh and demanded culpable homicide charges be registered against the officers concerned.Bawankule said all roadside trees across the state must be audited and added that govt has now adopted technology to check the health of trees as well as to ascertain the age of roots and the tree. “We can use technology to check their health, investigate if the lifespan of the tree is over. In any future development, trees will be protected and care will be taken that they do not fall because of concretisation,” he said.Meanwhile, horticulture and landscape consultant Robert Fernandes, who was part of the inquiry panel, said the Rs 7 lakh penalty imposed on the contractor and consultant “means nothing” as no monetary compensation can make up for the loss of a human life. He, however, clarified that the issue of imposing a penalty was never discussed with him by the BMC team, despite its inclusion in the civic body’s final inquiry report.In his report submitted to the BMC, Fernandes concluded that the collapse of the mature tree was not due to a single factor but the result of multiple biological, environmental and human-induced causes. He said disturbance within the tree’s critical root zone during recent civil works, coupled with heavy rainfall that saturated the soil and other structural weaknesses significantly contributed to the tree losing stability.Fernandes has recommended that the civic body implement a comprehensive Urban Tree Risk Management Programme involving periodic inspections, use of modern diagnostic tools, scientific maintenance practices and better coordination among departments to reduce the risk of future tree falls. He has also suggested appointing a dedicated nodal officer for road and infrastructure projects to coordinate between the engineering, roads, gardens and utility departments to ensure existing trees are adequately protected throughout the execution of civic works.Referring to Tawade’s criticism of the inquiry report, opposition leader in the BMC Kishori Pednekar said merely expressing disagreement was not enough. “The mayor has publicly rejected the report, but she must now take a firm stand. If she does so, we as the principal opposition will support her,” she said. Demanding stringent action against those responsible, Pednekar urged the BJP-led civic administration not to shield the guilty but to ensure accountability in the wake of the tragedy. – Inputs by Clara Lewis
