Reckless tree trimming kills over 45 birds; complaint filed against housing society, contractor

Thane, Jul 17 (PTI) Reckless cutting of tree branches on the premises of a residential society in Thane city led to the death of more than 45 birds and left at least 28 birds injured on Thursday, prompting the civic body to lodge a police complaint, officials said.

The death of so many birds, including cattle egrets and egrets, left environmentalists and common citizens aghast.

The incident occurred at a housing society in Kasarvadavali area.

According to the officials, the society had obtained permission from the Thane Municipal Corporation to prune trees within its premises.

Yasin Tadvi, Disaster Management Officer of the TMC, said bird rescuer Rohit Mohite first alerted them about birds and their nests having come crashing down during the tree pruning drive.

"The society appointed a contractor whose workers began trimming the trees without following any safety protocols and did not check whether there were birds and nests in the trees," Madhukar Bodke, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Garden Department, said.

"Soon after being informed about it, we sent our garden inspector and supervisor to the site and got it verified. It was a horrifying sight as a large number of birds had died," he said.

This was not just a violation of rules but cruelty, and those responsible for it must face legal consequences, Bodke said.

"We have lodged a police complaint against the office-bearers of the residential society and the contractor appointed to trim the trees," he said.

Garden inspector Dr Rahul Durgude said sparrows, mynas and bulbuls were among the dead birds.

"We have issued a notice to the society seeking an explanation. They had permission only for controlled trimming of trees, but they blatantly ignored the safety procedures, leading to this slaughter," he said.

A resident of the society expressed grief over the death of so many birds.

"They came to trim trees, but left birds massacred. We never imagined that a decision meant to clean the trees would result in the death of innocent birds," she said.

As the news spread, wildlife activists and bird lovers rushed to the site. Some filmed the dead birds and confronted the workers who allegedly fled the scene when civic officials arrived.

The activists rescued around 20 birds.

"This isn't just about obtaining permissions. It's about mindfulness which was clearly absent here," a forest official said.

An official of Kasarvadavali police station said the process to register an FIR was underway.

"Investigation is on and we will take appropriate legal action," he said.

Following the incident, activists demanded stricter controls and mandatory ecological assessment before any tree pruning or trimming is allowed.

"The trees will grow again, but who will bring back the birds?" a resident said.

But Dr Vivek Vadke, a local resident, pointed to the hygiene concerns caused by large colonies of birds. "Their droppings create a health hazard, especially for the elderly and children. In fact, even the government took action against the Kabutarkhana (a pigeon feeding spot) in Dadar for similar reasons," he said. PTI COR KRK