Mumbai, July 12 -- After a week in which relentless rain claimed 11 lives and paralysed Mumbai, the civic administration has admitted that its response had fallen short. The admission came after corporators demanded accountability during a 12-hour special general body meeting, which began at 2:00pm on Friday and continued till 2.25am on Saturday. "Our efforts fell short. We have no qualms saying that and we will improve in the coming days," additional municipal commissioner (western suburbs), Vipin Sharma told the civic house at the end of the debate, when mayor Ritu Tawde asked him to respond to all the concerns raised during the marathon meeting. Earlier, during the debate, attended by 44 corporators, Sharma detailed the BMC's anti-flooding measures and steps being taken following an alarming number of tree and branch collapses. Presenting data on Mumbai's tree cover, Sharma said Mumbai has 1.06 million trees on government land, 1.55 million trees on private layouts, and 185,000 roadside trees, taking the total to roughly 3 million. Referring to the last tree census conducted in 2018, he said the ongoing tree census is expected to be completed in two years and is likely to enumerate nearly 40 lakh trees, reflecting an estimated 20% increase in the city's tree cover. On the weakening of trees contributing to their collapse, Sharma said, "Factors such as concretisation around tree bases, inadequate groundwater recharge, weakening of root systems and global warming all contribute to the deterioration of trees. Concrete around tree trunks prevents rainwater from percolating into the soil, weakening roots over time." Sharma referred to a July 3 circular issued by municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide, directing an audit of trees by civic road engineers. Engineers have been instructed to remove concrete from tree bases. He told the civic house that compensatory plantation is being undertaken for trees affected by public infrastructure projects. The Tree Authority is also constituting an expert committee to prepare guidelines on tree conservation, pruning practices and maintenance during the monsoon. Rejecting allegations made by corporators that tree trimming is carried out only during the monsoon, Sharma said the BMC awards tenders on a June-to-June cycle, with the contract commencing every year on June 13. The scope of the contract covers pre-monsoon pruning as well as year-round tree trimming and maintenance, he said. Sharma said that between July 1 and 8, the civic body received 2,693 complaints of trees and branches falling. The intensity of this year's weather forced the civic body to deploy heavy machinery. On widespread flooding this early in the monsoon, he said Mumbai received more than 27% of its average annual rainfall in the first week of July. The city also witnessed winds of 70-75 kmph, making this year's weather "not an ordinary situation" but an "unprecedented" one. On flood preparedness, Sharma said all dewatering pumps had becoming operational by May 20. "We learnt from previous shortcomings in disaster management and rectified them this year," he said. Addressing concerns on 4,500 open manholes, Sharma noted that the situation remains dynamic as covers are frequently stolen while new uncovered manholes are discovered during road and infrastructure work. "Whenever a missing cover is identified, it is replaced," he said. Regarding the Sakinaka case, where a man fell into an open sewer and died, Sharma said issues relating to the contractor's work order and contractual responsibilities would become clear only after the inquiry....