Thane: Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday cracked down on Thane Municipal Corporation’s administration ordering the transfer and suspension of “non-performing” officials following complaints from residents and corporators over delayed responses during rain-related emergencies.A visibly displeased Shinde during a surprise visit to the Disaster Management Control Room pulled up senior officials from the Tree Authority and Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) directing immediate transfer and replacement of a tree authority official and week-long suspension of a RDMC official pending a performance review by the municipal commissioner.“Dereliction of duty during emergencies will not be tolerated,” Shinde warned. Civic officials refused to identify the officials, but said notices were being served to them by late evening.Meanwhile, following reports of nearly 600 branches collapsing and over 400 trees uprooted in the past few days, which left three including a fireman injured in separate incidents, Shinde admitted the rise in tree-fall incidents this monsoon and ordered an immediate citywide tree scientific audit.“A study of all affected trees will determine if their pruning was done timely and will also examine the reason of their sudden damage and collapse. Experts and specialised agencies will be roped in and will also study the impact of shrinking soil space around tree trunks during strengthening of roads,” he told the media.Shinde said Thane had received nearly 43% of its annual rainfall within a few days, but despite the heavy downpour, he claimed waterlogging cases had reduced due to deployment of 84 high-capacity de-watering pumps and continuous monitoring.He directed civic teams to ensure rapid removal of fallen trees and quick drainage of flooded areas, while authorising the administration to outsource additional manpower and machinery if required. “We have adopted zero tolerance towards rain-related fatalities,” Shinde said.Welcoming the action, activist Sanjeev Datta sought to know if the tree authority officials were meeting the academic criteria to hold crucial positions in the department.
