Mumbai ‘lost’ 24 trees a day to infra projects in 2018

Between January 1 and April 5 this year, BMC issued another 12 such permissions, affecting 3,588 trees — an average of 37 trees a day. The details were revealed based on 15-month data issued by the BMC through newspaper advertisements, which were collected by Khar resident and activist Zoru Bathena.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) tree authority gave its nod to cut 8,775 trees to make way for infrastructure projects such as the Metro and monorail lines, road widening and other construction activity in 2018. While all these trees have not yet been cut, just going by the approvals issued, Mumbai lost an equivalent of 24 trees a day in 2018.

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Between January 1 and April 5 this year, BMC issued another 12 such permissions, affecting 3,588 trees — an average of 37 trees a day. The details were revealed based on 15-month data issued by the BMC through newspaper advertisements, which were collected by Khar resident and activist Zoru Bathena.

An official from the BMC garden department said, “While data for permissions issued is correct, only 20% of the trees have been cut, after the HC ordered that no trees be removed until we include expert members in the tree authority.”