Activists oppose felling of 150-year-old Banyan tree for road widening in Thane

A senior Tree Authority official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that objections have been received and will be reviewed in an upcoming meeting with the executive engineer and other members of the Tree Authority

THANE: A proposal by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) to fell a nearly 150-year-old banyan tree in Balkum for a road-widening project has sparked strong opposition from environmentalists, who have threatened legal action if the plan is not withdrawn.

The tree, located near the Highland–Hill Spring–Runwal Golden City belt, is considered by activists to be a heritage specimen. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)

The tree, located near the Highland–Hill Spring–Runwal Golden City belt, is considered by activists to be a heritage specimen. They have urged the civic body to explore alternative solutions that would allow the road expansion while preserving the tree.

Environmentalists have also flagged a lack of transparency in the TMC’s public notice, alleging that it omits key details such as the tree’s age and species. They claim the proposal may violate provisions of the Maharashtra Tree Protection and Preservation Act, 1975, as well as directions issued by the Bombay High Court in a 2017 public interest litigation concerning tree-felling norms.

Rohit Joshi, an environmentalist who has formally objected to the move, said the banyan qualifies as a heritage tree and must be protected.

Joshi further alleged inconsistencies in the civic notice, pointing out that the project is described as “drain work” in Marathi and “road widening” in English. He also noted that municipal corporations, as per the high court’s directives, are required to publish details of approved tree-felling permissions every six months, a norm he claimed the TMC has not consistently followed.

Echoing the concerns, environmentalist Pooja Kulkarni underlined the ecological value of mature trees. “At a time when we are facing extreme heat waves, cutting a heritage tree with such a large canopy that provides shade and cooling is unjustifiable. Infrastructure development should not come at the cost of our rapidly diminishing green cover,” she said.

A senior Tree Authority official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that objections have been received and will be reviewed in an upcoming meeting with the executive engineer and other members of the Tree Authority. “Given that the tree is over 100 years old, we are also of the strong view that it should be preserved in its original form. Alternative solutions for road widening will be explored,” the official said.