‘Civic body proposed to cut, transplant 777 trees in past 16 days’

In the first 16 days of 2020, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed to cut or transplant around 777 trees for various civic infrastructure and development works.

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These proposals were in the form of public notices issued by the BMC over the last fortnight, claimed citizen environmentalist Zoru Bhathena.

Most of the proposals to cut or transplant trees are for several reasons like housing societies, for new real estate projects, road widening while a few trees are proposed to be cut by the BMC itself considering they’re dangerous or dead trees.

Zoru Bhathena said, “BMC mindlessly proposes to cut or transplant trees.”

He added, “In Bandra’s Hill road, BMC has proposed to cut trees only because it’s coming in between the road. There are pillars of Metro and skywalks too coming in between, so why can’t the trees stay?” The three trees proposed to be cut are close to St Andrews Church in Bandra. The civic body has sought suggestion/objection from the public by January 23.

The BMC has been proposing to cut or transplant trees for civic infrastructure work and for construction of real estate projects. As per procedure, whenever a tree removal or transplantation is proposed by the BMC on a large scale, it has to be approved by the BMC’s tree authority committee. If the trees are fewer than 25, the civic body has to issue a public notice to hear objections, if any.

Along with these proposals, the civic body has also proposed cutting of three trees at Hill Road in Bandra citing these trees are coming in the way of a proposed road-widening project.

Meanwhile, a BMC official said, “The proposals go through a proper process of suggestions and objections, and all these proposals don’t mean the trees are going to be cut or transplanted. There are times when the plan is tweaked after objections.”

In 2019, the civic body had proposed to cut around 14,518 trees, while in 2018 BMC had proposed to cut around 8,000 trees.

Of all these proposals, the majority of the proposals in 2018 were for cutting trees in Aarey colony for construction of a car shed for Metro-3 project.