Environmental activists in Mumbai have raised an urgent alarm over plans to cut down approximately 700 mature trees across the city. In a plea directed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the greens have stressed that these trees are not obstacles to development but essential public assets that provide shade, oxygen, flood buffering, and pollution control.
Activists Highlight Ecological Importance
The activists emphasized that mature trees play a critical role in urban ecosystems. They provide shade that reduces heat island effects, produce oxygen, help buffer against flooding by absorbing rainwater, and act as natural pollution filters. The loss of such trees, they argue, would severely impact the city's environmental health.
Appeal to Chief Minister
In their SOS to CM Fadnavis, the greens requested immediate intervention to halt the felling. They urged the government to reconsider development plans that necessitate the removal of these trees and to explore alternative routes or methods that preserve the greenery.
The plea comes amid a heatwave in Maharashtra, making the shade and cooling provided by trees even more critical. Activists warn that cutting down trees will exacerbate heat-related health risks and degrade air quality.
Mumbai, already grappling with high pollution levels and frequent flooding, stands to lose valuable natural infrastructure if the felling proceeds. The activists call for a comprehensive tree census and a transparent impact assessment before any further removal.
