Green activists see red over civic body’s plan to cut 311 trees

BMC had invited suggestions and objections within seven days of issuing the notices.

Environmental activists have decided to lodge their objections with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), over the latter’s decision to cut 311 trees for two infrastructural projects in the city.

MSRDC’s chief engineer Shankar Dhote said, “In the original project report, no forest land was involved. Tree-cutting is not taking place on forest land, which is why it is not reflected in the original report.”(HT Photo)

According to two notices issued by the civic body on Thursday, 207 trees will be cut for work on Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) Metro 6 project while 104 trees will be cut for Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation’s (MSRDC) Versova Bandra Sea Link (VBSL) project. Of these, a total of 241 trees will be transplanted.

BMC had invited suggestions and objections within seven days of issuing the notices.

City activist Zoru Bathena said, “The original report for the Metro 6 project says that 57 trees will be removed. Now, they plan to cut 207 trees. When MSRDC received approval for the VBSL, they had said not a single tree would be cut. They have said they will transplant some trees, but we all know transplanted trees don’t survive.”

MSRDC’s chief engineer Shankar Dhote said, “In the original project report, no forest land was involved. Tree-cutting is not taking place on forest land, which is why it is not reflected in the original report.”

A spokesperson for MMRDA said, “We will verify discrepancies in numbers with the detailed project report (DPR). We will release the exact information on Monday.”