Follow proper procedure to trim trees: Apex Court tells TMC

Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) will have to follow a proper procedure to give permissions for trimming and pruning trees in the city.

Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) will have to follow a proper procedure to give permissions for trimming and pruning trees in the city.

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Early this week, the Supreme Court upheld the National Green Tribunal’s (NGTs) decision that the corporation will have to formulate a policy based on the Pune Municipal Corporation to give permission for trimming and pruning of trees and conduct a scientific census of trees.

In October 2016, city-based activist Pradeep Indulkar filed a petition with the NGT on the unscientific and rampant trimming of trees. The NGT, in its ruling, pointed out four things — the civic commissioner, responsible for the tree trimming, will have to pay ₹50,000 to the education department for civic students’ education, pay ₹5000 to the petitioner for expenses, undertake scientific and modern technology-based census of trees and formulate a policy for trimming and pruning of trees.

The municipal commissioner challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. On September 30, the SC squashed the first two points of paying fine and expenses.

Indulkar, who is also a member of Jaag NGO, said, “The court upheld the NGT’s decision on carrying out a modern digitalised and scientific census of tree and also formulating a proper procedure to trim and prune trees and maintain a record of all trimmings. This is a victory for us as our aim was to ensure that the trimming and pruning is carried out following a proper scientific procedure.”

He added, “Though the SC has squashed the decision to pay for expenses, we are not bothered. The corporation on its own should set aside ₹50,000 for environmental education as suggestion by NGT.”

The NGO claimed that the corporation had no reason to approach the Supreme Court after NGT’s decision.

Sanjay Mangala Gopal, another member of Jaag, said, “After NGT’s decision in March 2017 and in October the same year, the municipal corporation approached the SC. They should have accepted the NGT’s decision and formulated the policy which is beneficial to the city.”

An officer of the tree authority said he will have to study the court order before making a statement.