Mumbai experienced 523 tree-fall incidents within 24 hours between July 5 and July 6, as heavy rain and strong winds battered the city, resulting in one death and eight injuries. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) attributed the surge to extreme weather conditions.
Weather Conditions and Tree Falls
According to the BMC, wind speeds reached 72-79 kmph on July 5, exceeding three times the average wind speed during the monsoon season. The civic body maintained that the extreme weather was primarily responsible for the large number of trees uprooted across the city.
However, experts disagree, citing widespread road concretisation and poor tree management as contributing factors to the growing number of collapses. Arborist Vaibhav Raje, who is conducting a scientific survey of around 5,000 trees in Mumbai, stated that cement and trees cannot coexist, as tree roots need to anchor themselves to the soil.
Impact of Road Concretisation
The recent incidents have renewed scrutiny of Mumbai's large-scale road concretisation project, launched in January 2023. According to civic records, tree-fall incidents have remained consistently high since the project began, with 687 cases reported in 2023, 653 in 2024, and 855 in 2025. At least 11 people have died in tree-collapse incidents between 2023 and July 5, 2026.
- 687 tree-fall incidents reported in 2023
- 653 tree-fall incidents reported in 2024
- 855 tree-fall incidents reported in 2025
- 11 deaths due to tree-collapse incidents between 2023 and July 5, 2026
As the monsoon intensifies, the debate over whether Mumbai's rising tree-fall incidents are driven by extreme weather, urban development, or a combination of both is expected to remain under close watch. The BMC has issued 428 notices to the Roads Department and utility agencies over damage to tree roots during infrastructure works between October 2023 and March 2026.
