The Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) has told the Bombay high court that it would plant 15,000 trees during the monsoon to increase the green cover in the city.
The Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) has told the Bombay high court that it would plant 15,000 trees during the monsoon to increase the green cover in the city.
The BMC has also stated in the proposed development plan it would reserve 3,470.65 hectares in the city for the development of gardens, play grounds and recreational ground.
A division bench of Justice V.M. Kanade and Justice Swapana Joshi was hearing a PIL filed by Khar resident Zoru Bathena. As per the petition, since 2010, trees between Khar and Borivali have been infected by mealy bug and the BMC had not been able to identify any cause or cure. The petition appealed for a direction to be given to the BMC to protect the trees, replace dead trees with new ones and take steps to increase the city’s green cover.
On December 2015, the BMC had informed high court that a total of 2,104 rain trees had been infected by the mealy bug since 2010. While 1,108 of them died, 853 had to be removed. On January 2016, the court had asked BMC to replant trees and fence them.
On Tuesday, lawyer Trupti Puranik tendered an affidavit on behalf of the BMC stating that 15,000 trees would be planted this monsoon and 12,333 saplings would be distributed to individuals, housing societies, organisation and trusts. It also stated the BMC had participated in the state’s mass tree plantation drive which was conducted on July 1, 2016. Volunteers of the BMC had planted 7,950 trees in the city and distributed 12,333 saplings. The state government sought time to file its affidavit and HC has granted them four weeks.
