The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Tree Authority has approved proposals affecting 457 trees for four major infrastructure projects across Mumbai. The permissions allow 253 trees to be felled and another 204 to be transplanted.
The largest proposal involves the construction of a new clear water pumping station in Bhandup West. The facility, planned with a capacity of 2,000 million litres per day, will require 184 trees to be cut and 150 to be transplanted. Trees that do not interfere with the project will be retained within the premises.
Another proposal concerns the redevelopment of staff facilities at KEM Hospital in Parel. As part of the plan to demolish an existing structure and construct a new staff building, 28 of the 196 trees at the site have been approved for removal. Another 22 will be transplanted, while 146 trees will remain in place.
A third proposal is linked to a workshop in Matunga being developed for Central Railway’s fifth and sixth railway lines project between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kurla. The project will require 29 of the 42 trees at the location to be removed, while the remaining 13 are proposed for transplantation.
The fourth proposal involves construction at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) campus in Trombay. The planned development on the northern side of the campus will affect 71 of the 86 trees at the site. The proposal includes removal of 12 trees and transplantation of 19 others.
The Tree Authority’s approval clears the way for tree-related work associated with these infrastructure projects, while retaining and relocating trees wherever proposed.
The decisions highlight the environmental impact associated with Mumbai’s continuing infrastructure expansion, as road, railway, water and public-institution projects increasingly require modifications to existing green cover.
The approved proposals cover projects spread across Bhandup, Parel, Matunga and Trombay, involving civic infrastructure, hospital facilities, railway expansion and institutional development.
Source: Times of India
