The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched an emergency tree survey, called “Dead Dangerous Tree,” to evaluate and identify weakened trees on the city’s roads in response to last week’s pre-summer heatwave and skyrocketing temperatures. The survey is anticipated to cover about 1,000 trees over the course of the next eight days and will concentrate on areas affected by ongoing road concretisation, where trees are most vulnerable due to restricted soil access.
Experts emphasise that trees require open soil space equivalent to their canopy for healthy growth. However, construction contractors often fail to leave the mandated one-square-metre space for roots. “They also park cement and mixture trucks near tree bases, causing harmful concrete seepage into the soil. Additionally, frequent trench digging by utility providers weakens tree stability. While residents often complain about branch trimming, the real issue lies in root damage,” a civic official clarified.
Activist Godfrey Pimenta has filed a formal complaint with the state environment authority on concerns about trees being suffocated by excessive concretisation. He pointed out in his letter that concrete that is packed closely is suffocating 50 trees in Sahar Village, Andheri East, making it impossible for them to absorb water or breathe.
This issue is not new—back in 2015, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the BMC to maintain a one-metre concrete-free zone around trees. However, implementation has been inconsistent. “The road department is well aware of this rule, and it is our duty to ensure sufficient space is left around trees,” stated Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner (projects), BMC. The Tree Authority has since instructed ward officials to comply with NGT guidelines and take action against non-compliant contractors.
On April 17, 2024, environmental activist Zoru Bhathena filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court, bringing the case before the court. According to his petition, roadways should be built with enough room for trees and existing ones should be preserved. “The High Court had earlier directed the BMC to create a road policy, but tree preservation was completely overlooked,” he said. “By law, both sides of the road should have trees.”
In order to preserve Mumbai’s urban greenery, environmentalists and residents are continuing to demand that environmental laws be enforced more strictly as the study goes on.
Source: Hindustan Times
