November 19, 2025: In a significant policy shift, the state government has permitted trees felled for infrastructure projects in Mumbai to be replanted outside the city limits, anywhere within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The move comes in response to the acute shortage of open land in Mumbai, which has made it increasingly difficult to accommodate mandatory compensatory plantations within the city itself.
Under current rules, agencies must replant trees equivalent in age and number to those cut, and these plantations are required to be carried out within Mumbai. However, new directions issued by the state say that “considering the acute shortage of open space within Mumbai city limits, alternative plantation for BMC and other government public infrastructure projects on suitable lands available in MMR should be considered.” Project-implementing agencies will now be responsible for identifying appropriate land parcels, securing prior permission from landowners, and submitting these details to the authorities.
The revised guidelines follow an interim order issued by the Supreme Court (SC) in October 2025 in a suo motu case, after the BMC sought approval to remove trees obstructing major public works. The Court had asked the state to frame a structured mechanism for compensatory plantations that balances ecological protection with essential development.
According to officials, the SC directed that stronger measures be adopted to ensure effective management and safeguarding of compensatory plantations linked to tree cutting in non-forest areas. The updated framework, submitted by the state revenue and forest department, aligns with the Maharashtra Tree Felling (Regulation) Act, 1964, and the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Tree Preservation and Conservation Act, 1975.
The directions emphasise that local bodies must maintain a land bank of suitable areas with quality soil for future plantations. “It shall include recreational areas and important natural biomes… The scope of the said land bank shall be limited to the plantation of trees to be felled within the jurisdiction of the local bodies,” the guidelines state. They further stress the mandatory use of native species to protect local biodiversity.
To improve survival rates, seedlings of local species at least 12 feet tall must be planted, and authorities must ensure these trees survive for seven years. Any saplings that fail during this period must be replaced, with ongoing maintenance guaranteed.
Source: The Times of India
