Ambitious projects affect green cover adverselyAge correspondent

Mumbai: Infrastructure projects and construction activities will take a heavy toll on Mumbai’s green cover as 556 trees are likely to be cut and transplanted in the city. Of them, 256 alone will be cut and transplanted for the proposed flyover at Kalanagar, Bandra.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has tabled five tree cutting proposals – involving Kalanagar flyover and two Metro stations – before the tree authority meeting to be held on January 19. According to these proposals, 556 trees will be removed, of which 326 trees will be cut right away and 230 will be transplanted.

“In case of Kalanagar flyover at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), 161 trees will be transplanted and 95 will be chopped. For the JVLR station and Aarey station on Metro line seven, 23 and 15 trees will be transplanted and hacked. For the National Park Metro station at Borivali 25 and 33 trees will be transplanted and cut respectively,” said a civic official.

The BMC has proposed to transplant and cut 10 and 47 trees respectively for the proposed school at JVPD scheme, Vile Parle. For the redevelopment of building at Powai, 107 trees will be transplanted and 40 will be cut.

Several proposals come up for approval before the civic tree authority, which involves chopping and transplantation of trees in large numbers for development and infrastructure projects.

However, civic activists have alleged that developing agencies and builders pay no attention to the rule of planting triple the number of trees that have been axed.