Work on Central Railway’s 5th and 6th lines between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Kurla is progressing, with the proposed Matunga Workshop now cleared for tree removal and transplantation.
The Municipal Tree Authority has approved a Central Railway proposal involving 42 trees located at the site of the planned workshop in the G/North civic ward. Of these, 29 trees will be removed to facilitate excavation and construction, while the remaining 13 will be transplanted.
The tree-related work is part of the wider railway infrastructure project aimed at expanding capacity along the CSMT-Kurla corridor through the construction of the fifth and sixth lines. The proposed Matunga Workshop forms an important component of the project.
As part of the approval, the Railways has committed to planting 896 new trees as compensation for the 29 trees being felled and the 13 being transplanted. The new plantations will be carried out within 15 days of tree removal and each sapling will have a minimum height of six feet.
The compensatory trees will comprise native and locally suitable species. The proposed plantation list includes Nagkeshar, Kachnar, Kadamba, Neem, Mahogany, Bahava, Sita Ashok, Bakul, Nimbolli, Taman, Parijatak, Rai Amla, Tamarind, Karanj and Chafa or Sonchafa, subject to space availability and applicable criteria.
The new and transplanted trees will be accommodated within the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus railway yard. According to the undertaking submitted by the Railways, approximately 2,000 square metres of available land at the yard will be used for the plantation.
Central Railway’s Senior Section Engineer (Horticulture) concerned will be responsible for maintaining and protecting the newly planted trees for seven years, as committed in the undertaking submitted to the Tree Authority.
The approval allows construction activity at the Matunga Workshop site to proceed while providing for compensatory green cover. The project is part of Central Railway’s efforts to strengthen infrastructure and improve capacity on one of Mumbai’s busiest suburban and long-distance railway corridors.
Source: Prahaar
