Bought from AP, planted in Mumbai

From this month, the municipal corporation will start replanting trees bought from Andhra Pradesh. In December 2009, a six-member team from the corporation visited nurseries in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, and purchased around 6,000 trees for an estimated Rs 10 lakh — one tree costs around Rs 150-200.

From this month, the municipal corporation will start replanting trees bought from Andhra Pradesh.

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In December 2009, a six-member team from the corporation visited nurseries in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, and purchased around 6,000 trees for an estimated Rs 10 lakh — one tree costs around Rs 150-200.

And around 4,000 trees — 20 varieties including palm, gulmohar and jackfruit — have already reached the nursery at Byculla zoo.

The trees are six to seven years old and eight to 10 ft tall.

“We have decided to plant them at Napean Sea Road, Worli seaface and Marine Drive. These trees were bought to improve the survival rate of trees along the roads,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Chandrashekhar Rokde.

But as the city is currently facing a water crisis only 250-300 trees will be replanted, and the rest will be nurtured at the nursery in the zoo, he added.

“We currently have 25 lakh trees across the city, but we need to plant 25 lakh more. For this the corporation plans to have its own tree nurseries [tree banks],” added Rokde.

Tree banks will ensure that only saplings strong enough to be planted are distributed during plantation drives undertaken by the corporation.

Now the corporation is taking steps to make the city green, but it had also granted permission to axe more than 3,300 trees across the city last year.