A major accident was narrowly averted in Nashik on Monday afternoon (April 28), when a huge Gulmohar tree fell on a moving truck near Gadkari Chowk . The truck driver, Amol Haridas Pillale, a resident of Shantinagar, Pune, suffered minor injuries in the incident.
The truck (MH14-EV-8615) was carrying a sugarcane load when the tree suddenly collapsed on its cabin. Fortunately, the driver managed to escape in time. Eyewitnesses, including local citizen Kabhi Kebir Chepli, rushed to help and informed the authorities. Fire brigade personnel soon arrived at the spot and cut the branches to clear the road.
This incident highlights the growing danger posed by Gulmohar trees in Nashik. Once planted for their beauty, these ornamental trees have now become hazardous due to their fragile structure and aging roots. Over the past two years, Gulmohar tree collapses have claimed four lives in the city.
A similar tragic incident occurred recently in Satpur’s Shivnagar area, where a woman died after a Gulmohar tree fell on a man returning home from work.
The Nashik Municipal Corporation’s Parks Department has identified 235 Gulmohar trees as life-threatening, especially in the stretch between ITI and Mauli Lawns. A survey and removal drive is now underway to prevent further accidents.
Residents are urging authorities to act swiftly before another life is lost.