Mumbai: In a significant move, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has rejected its own inquiry report into the Chembur tree collapse that claimed the life of 11 year old Vihaan Srivastava, ordering a fresh investigation after concerns were raised over the findings.
The decision was taken during the BMC’s general body meeting after members questioned the report for giving a clean chit to the civic body’s Roads and Gardens departments. The three member committee had instead held the contractor and consultant working on a nearby stormwater drain project responsible, recommending penalties of rs 5 lakh and rs 2 lakh, respectively.
Vihaan, a Class VI student, lost his life on June 30 after a large roadside tree crashed onto his school bus in Chembur during heavy rainfall. Several other children on the bus were injured, and the incident triggered widespread public outrage over the safety of roadside trees and civic oversight during infrastructure work.
According to the committee, the contractor failed to follow safety measures while carrying out excavation work near the tree, despite repeated instructions from the Gardens Department to protect its roots. However, several civic representatives argued that the report failed to examine whether municipal officials responsible for supervising the work had also been negligent.
The civic body has now directed a fresh inquiry to reexamine the circumstances leading to the tragedy and fix responsibility wherever necessary. The new probe is expected to look into the role of both civic officials and private agencies involved in the project.
A preliminary technical assessment had earlier found that the tree suffered from extensive internal decay and damaged roots, which had weakened its stability before it collapsed. Following the incident, the BMC suspended an Assistant Garden Superintendent pending a departmental inquiry.
Vihaan’s family has continued to seek accountability, maintaining that the tragedy could have been prevented. They have called for a transparent investigation and strict action against everyone found responsible.
The case has once again brought Mumbai’s ageing roadside trees and monsoon preparedness under scrutiny, with the outcome of the fresh probe likely to influence how the city monitors tree health and infrastructure projects in the future.
