The BMC Tree Authority on Tuesday approved a proposal to fell 251 trees and transplant another 48 for the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Old Mandala to New Mandala road connectivity project in Mumbai, being undertaken by the Department of Atomic Energy.
The proposal was considered after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) invited public suggestions and objections through newspaper advertisements. No objections were received during the stipulated period, paving the way for the Tree Authority to clear the plan.
As part of the compensatory plantation requirement, the project authorities have committed to planting 2,211 new trees within 15 days of the proposed tree felling. The replacement trees will be local species and will have a minimum height of six feet at the time of plantation.
An undertaking submitted to the civic authorities also states that the transplanted trees will be planted within the same land parcel. The measure is intended to compensate for the environmental impact resulting from the removal of existing trees to facilitate road connectivity improvements.
The BARC Old Mandala-New Mandala road project is aimed at improving access and connectivity in the area while supporting movement along the institutional corridor. However, the large number of trees proposed for removal has brought the project under the scrutiny of the civic Tree Authority, which oversees permissions related to tree cutting and transplantation in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, the Tree Authority has issued a separate public notice inviting suggestions and objections regarding another proposal involving the cutting of 12 trees for an Amazon data centre project in Powai.
Citizens and environmental stakeholders have been given an opportunity to respond to the proposal through the prescribed process. The latest decisions come as Mumbai continues to balance major infrastructure and commercial development projects with the preservation and replacement of its urban tree cover.
The BMC’s compensatory plantation conditions require replacement trees to meet specified size and species criteria, while the transplantation of existing trees is being carried out wherever permitted under the approved plans.
The Tree Authority’s approval allows the BARC connectivity project to move ahead with the required tree-related permissions, subject to compliance with the prescribed plantation and transplantation conditions.
Source: The Times of India
