Overview
- On June 30 a large peepal tree fell on a school bus in Chembur, killing 11‑year‑old Vihaan Srivastava and injuring four other students.
- The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has named botanist and former University of Mumbai vice‑chancellor Dr Sanjay V. Deshmukh to lead a fresh, independent inquiry with a report due in one month.
- Mayor Ritu Tawde and the BMC general body rejected the preliminary civic‑led probe as insufficient because it did not fully fix responsibility or recommend strict action.
- The new panel is charged with a multidisciplinary scientific review of the earlier panel’s methods and evidence, covering engineering, botany, soil, drainage, climate and public administration, and the civic administration has directed departments to cooperate.
- BMC records show a recent spike in monsoon tree collapses — 36 incidents over a short period — and the re‑investigation could trigger disciplinary measures, revised inspection protocols and broader policy reforms to reduce risk to children and other road users.