Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority

MMRDA

BMC

Green Wheel project

While 804 trees will be cut, 1,566 will be transplanted, says notice issued by civic body.Various infra works of the) and thewill affect 2,370 trees in Mumbai. The city will see cutting of 804 trees and transplantation of 1,566 treesActivist Zoru Bhathena said, “The current proposals for removal of 2,370 trees is just the trailer. The horror movie is yet to be released. More than 10,000 trees will be affected just in the next three to four months. This is why it is so important to have a Tree Authority that is really honest and has genuine experts and members who truly care for the environment and our city.”Bhathena said, “The Bombay High Court has repeatedly observed that the Tree Authority is not an authority for the destruction of trees, but an Authority mandated to preserve and protect our trees. When will the BMC listen to our High Court? How can it be that our BMC has not a single tree transplantation machine, not a single tree MRI to check tree health and not a single tree doctor (arborist)? How will our city survive if our tree cover is ruthlessly massacred by the stroke of the Tree Authority pen? When will this change?’’A notice issued by the BMC says that 1,566 trees are due for transplantation but this transplantation without adequate technology, is just a sham, said Bhathena.The notice says that 836 trees affected for Metro 2B stations and depot (including stations at JVPD where the HC has stayed their work). This work is being done by MMRDA. As many as 842 trees will be affected to facilitate building of a hospital at Kandivali (W) and 133 trees have been affected to facilitate aalong the water pipelines. Similarly, 201trees will be affected to build flyovers at Borivali, Versova and Vikhroli. Construction of a drain at Kandivali will affect 147 trees. Sixty seven trees will be affected due to a project to widen a road at Bhandup, while the Powai Lake works will hit 37 trees. Construction of staff quarters for the BMC will consume 43 trees.MMRDA spokesperson Dilip Kawathkar said, “Our prime aim is to save trees. We transplant most of them. If the trees can be saved, we pay the BMC to transplant them, but if they can’t be saved, they are cut. But we also plant trees as compensatory afforestation.’’A top civic officer said that whatever trees are lost will be planted in this monsoon,