Infra Construction Firms Bag 42 24 Cr Contracts To Protect Trees

MUMBAI: The recent spate of tree collapses leading to deaths soon after the onset of monsoons has jolted civic authorities and the state’s ruling dispensation into action. However, amid cross-departmental blame-game within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the real issue remained camouflaged.

It lies in BMC’s decision to outsource the task of tree care and public safety to private contractors with little or no expertise in arboriculture, since 2014. Until then the task rested on the civic garden department’s own staff and maalis who identified hazardous trees, propped weak branches and carried out pruning.

Data accessed by HT has revealed that BMC awarded contracts worth ₹42.24 crore to remove and prune dead and dangerous trees across 23 municipal wards from May 2026 to May 2027 to construction and infrastructure contractors – not known for specialised arboriculture or urban forestry. A contractor for H-East ward (Bandra East) is yet to be appointed.

While the estimated cost of tenders was ₹76.82 crore, they were awarded at an average of 45% below value. The reduced value of the final contract by around ₹34.6 crore calls into question the quality of work being carried out.

Corporators, who chose to remain anonymous, told HT that bids 40%-50% below the estimated cost are generally subjected to closer scrutiny to ensure that contractors are indeed equipped to execute the work without compromising quality or seeking subsequent revisions in scope or cost.

D S Infrastructure emerged as the biggest beneficiary, bagging five tenders worth about ₹9.77 crore. S Pol Enterprises, HnH Associates, Mars Infra Projects and R.S. Construction won two tenders each. Together, the five firms secured 13 of the 24 ward contracts.

According to BMC’s mandate, the bidders are required to employ at least one qualified horticulturist and have prior experience in government garden works. While green activists have argued that the criteria are weak, a junior tree officer from the garden department defended the process, saying the successful bidders met the eligibility conditions. “The company has to be financially stable, have experience in government garden works and employ a qualified horticulturist, which is mentioned in the tender application,” the officer said.

AIMIM corporator Zameer Qureshi from M East ward (Chembur) questioned the reduction of price quoted by contractors. “How can ₹100 worth of work be done for ₹60 without compromising on manpower and quality,” he asked. “When the BMC prepares an office estimate, it calculates the actual cost of inspecting, pruning and maintaining trees to ensure public safety. If a contractor quotes 45% below that estimate, the responsibility for allowing such bids lies with the officials.”

Niranjan Shetty, former member of the Tree Authority, said outsourcing tree maintenance had undermined the city’s ability to care for its trees. “The BMC already has maalis, many from farming families in Ratnagiri and the Konkan, who possess generations of practical knowledge. They understand tree health, know how to prune scientifically and have a deep attachment to trees,” he said, adding, “BMC should conduct a scientific tree census every five years and restore the role of junior tree officers to monitor tree health instead of assigning them unrelated administrative work.”

Vaibhav Raje, an ISA certified arborist, and director of TreeCotech Ltd, said: “These contractors are not from tree-care companies; they are construction or transport firms. They do not have proper arboriculture experts on staff, let alone follow safe and scientific pruning standards. Having a horticulture expert is not enough, because managing urban trees is a specialized subject that requires qualified, certified arborists.” He added, “I am told these companies sometimes underbid by more than 50% to win contracts and then fail to deliver the expected output. On the ground, we see haphazard pruning and no proper tree risk assessments.”

Data accessed by HT shows 12 major tree-fall incidents claimed 13 lives and left 18 people seriously injured between 2015 and June 2026. Of this, three deaths were recorded in Chembur since 2017.

The data shows that H(east) (Santacruz east), M(west) in (Chembur), T Ward (Mulund) and P(North) in Malad (west) together accounted for 10 of the 13 reported deaths and 15 of the 18 injuries.

Ajitkumar Ambi, deputy municipal commissioner, gardens remained unavailable for comment.