41 trees cut, poisoned along EEH in Ghatkopar E, FIR registered

Pant Nagar police have registered a case on the complaint filed by Krishna Lambe, who works with the garden unit of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation

MUMBAI: An FIR has been registered against unknown miscreants after at least 41 trees were found either axed or poisoned the Eastern Express Highway in Ghatkopar East.

Several trees have been found dead and an attempt has been made to destroy them by using poison, said cops. (Satish Bate/ HT PHOTO)

The Pant Nagar police have registered a case on the complaint filed by Krishna Lambe, who works with the garden department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) under various sections of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975.

“The garden department, during their routine checking, noticed that several trees on the divider from the junction of the Andheri-Jogeshwari Link Road and Eastern Express Highway to Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar in Ghatkopar East 22 Foxtail palm trees were chopped,” said the police officer. “Similarly, opposite the Petrol Pump near Naidu Colony, Pant Nagar, Ghatkopar East, 16 Peltophorum trees, 2 Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala), and one Peepal tree (sacred fig) were drilled into two three places per tree, and some chemical was poured into those holes. Due to this, the tree had lost all its leaves and later died.”

The cops are trying to hunt the accused as it is still not clear why someone would poison the trees, although they suspect that somebody might have done it intending to steal wood. The cops are checking the CCTV footage to see who is behind all this. “Usually in a lot of cases, trees are poisoned by builders when they are on their property, in this case, they are beside the road and not on any private property, said a police officer from Pant Nagar police station.