An application to cut the same tree was filed in February this year.
A benevolent force of nature can sometimes be a deadly blow too. For a woman in Mumbai's Chembur, a routine walk after a fresh bout of rains on Thursday turned fatal when she was struck by a falling tree. The incident, in all its heart-stopping horror, was caught on a nearby security camera.
In the video, Kanchan Nath is seen wearing a blue t-shirt and black trousers, when without warning, the tree comes crashing on her. She immediately falls on the ground. Passers-by witness the incident and rush to her rescue.
Ms Nath was then taken to a hospital and was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit. She died of her injuries this morning.
Provoking anger in the area, however, is the discovery of an application filed to cut the same tree on February 17 this year, under which a fee of Rs 1,380 was also deposited. However, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials had inspected the tree and told the applicant, one Avinash Pol, that it was still healthy.
The local councillor Asha Marathe has written to the BMC demanding action and accused officials responsible of being negligent. She has also demanded an inquiry against them.