Mumbai: Even as the Municipal Engineers Association and Brihanmumbai Municipal Engineers Union have sought the revocation of the suspension of two BMC roads department engineers in the wake of the Chembur tree collapse that claimed the life of an 11-year-old schoolboy, documents accessed by TOI show that the department had, in March, warned the contractor executing road works in the eastern suburbs to take mandatory measures to protect mature trees and held it liable for any damage arising from excavation.In the letter, the roads department’s executive engineer of eastern suburbs directed Gawar Construction Ltd, which was carrying out road strengthening and improvement works, to immediately implement protective measures for trees located within work zones. The notice, issued in March, observed that several trees in the area were of “advanced maturity”, many showed a “noticeable lean” indicating potential instability, and that excavation activities could increase the “risk of tree failure”.The contractor was instructed to establish root protection zones, adopt trenchless construction methods wherever feasible, and carry out phased excavation to minimise vibrations around trees. The notice warned that these directions were “mandatory and non-negotiable” and stated that if any incident occurred due to excavation near the trees, the contractor would be held “fully responsible and liable for all consequences”, including restoration costs and damages.Pointing to the March notice, the engineers’ association urged BMC commissioner to revoke the suspension of sub-engineer Arun Munde and assistant engineer Yogesh Parte, calling the action “premature and unjust”.In a representation submitted on Thursday, along with photographs of the tree before and after the incident, the association argued that the over 50-year-old peepal snapped at the trunk, while its roots remained intact, suggesting that road and stormwater drain works had not damaged the roots. It also urged the civic administration to await the findings of the inquiry committee before taking disciplinary action against the two engineers. According to the association, the tree withstood an entire monsoon season between May and November 2025, despite heavy rainfall and strong winds, indicating that the earlier civic works had not compromised its stability.
