Mumbai: At the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Tree Authority meeting held on Friday, several proposals for tree cutting and transplantation were discussed, sparking cross-party criticism over the practice of compensatory plantation outside Mumbai’s municipal limits. Corporators argued that planting trees in areas like Bhiwandi, Palghar, and Panvel undermines the goal of maintaining Mumbai’s green cover.
Key Proposals Under Scrutiny
One significant proposal involved trees affected by the first phase of the Motilal Nagar cluster redevelopment project in Goregaon (West), one of the city’s largest redevelopment schemes. The proposal sought permission to fell 89 trees and transplant 131 trees to facilitate construction. Additionally, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) requested approval to cut 320 trees and transplant 386 trees for the Eastern Freeway extension plan from Chheda Nagar to Thane’s Anand Nagar.
Concerns Raised by Party Leaders
The scale of proposed tree felling and transplantation raised alarms among several party leaders. Hetal Gala, a Tree Authority member and chairman of the civic garden and market committee, emphasized that compensatory plantation should occur within city limits by identifying large open spaces. “These should be mapped accordingly,” she said.
BJP party leader Ganesh Khankar noted that he had proposed prioritizing compensatory plantation within Mumbai, including open spaces under flyovers and Metro stations, rather than in distant peripheral districts.
Opposition Objections and Technological Suggestions
Opposition members from the Shiv Sena (UBT) objected to MMRDA’s Eastern Freeway extension tree cutting proposal. Former mayor Kishori Pednekar of Sena (UBT) suggested that BMC should adopt technologies used in other countries that allow trees to be transplanted with their root systems intact, instead of cutting them down. She also remarked that if all proposals are meant to be passed by the ruling party and civic administration, the opposition’s approval could be taken over the phone, rendering their presence unnecessary.
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About the Author: Richa Pinto is a special correspondent with The Times of India, covering urban governance and climate change issues. With over a decade of field reporting experience, she has written extensively on civic issues affecting Mumbaikars. She graduated in journalism from St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and later pursued a three-year Law degree (L.L.B.) from the University of Mumbai. She tweets regularly about Mumbai matters at @richapintoi.
