Times of India: Mumbai: Sunday, August 06, 2017.
The BMC has
given permission to cut 7,842 trees in the city and suburbs for various reasons
in the last three years, an RTI query has revealed. Terming the civic authority
insensitive to both citizens and environment, activists say BMC cuts trees in
places when not required, but ignores genuine requests for felling trees that
pose danger to citizens.
For instance,
a 58-year-old former Doordarshan anchor and yoga instructor, Kanchan Nath, was
killed last month when a coconut tree snapped from its trunk and fell on her as
she walked down on Sant Venkaiah Marg in Chembur. Her family has alleged that
the incident took place because of the BMC negligence as the authorities didn't
allow the owner of the bungalow, in whose property the coconut tree stood, to
cut the 50-year-old tree and they certified it as a fit tree.
Activist Anil
Galgali, who had filed the RTI application, said, "Whenever there is a
need to cut trees posing danger, civic officials don't allow it because the
applicant had not fulfilled their demands. But at some places where's no need
to kill the trees, they allow it without examining the ground reality. Civic
officials quickly process the tree cutting proposals that come from builders
and businessmen, but do not show similar enthusiasm towards other
applications."
In its reply
Galgali's RTI query, the civic authority said it allowed 7,842 trees to be cut
between 2014 and 2016, 7 trees a day on average. More than 60% of these trees
(4,743) were cut on the premises of the private land owners means mainly during
building construction. Civic officials said they always make efforts to protect
the trees whenever it's possible, but also ensure that they don't hamper
development activities.
Tree activist
Zoru Bathena said, "A tree can be cut if it's posing danger or dead and
for approved construction-development activities. But the builder needs to
plant three trees for every tree he wants to cut, mostly on the same premises
or at some other place with BMC permission. But they are not doing so. You
would find buildings constructed after cutting trees, but there is no tree
being replanted on the premises."
Civic
officials said they have experts in all wards whose job is to examine a tree
after receiving trimming or cutting application and accordingly decide the
action. But many in the civic department admitted that the experts are not
doing their job seriously which causes tree falling incidents.
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