Juhu residents rope in MNS to stall tree hacking

Linah Baliga, TNN, Oct 28, 2010

MUMBAI: Considering that the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS') strong-arm tactics have more often than not yielded results, residents of Juhu's upscale JVPD on Monday sought the party's help to stall the hacking of over 13 trees on a plot marked as recreation ground (RG). The plot was leased out to Ronson Foundation for maintenance by the Brihan mumbai Municipal Corporation in 1990.

The BMC had, in 1986, acquired the land from Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (Mhada) to develop an 'urban forest'. The civic body had even planted 1,300 trees on the plot. But that was in 1986. A Right to Information (RTI) query filed by the residents in 2010 revealed that 1,000 trees had disappeared from the plot.

"On Monday, 30 people came with axes to chop the trees. Security uards deployed by the foundation misbehaved with women and residents, who had rushed to the plot to stop the trees from being felled," said Ashoke Pandit, secretary, Gulmohur Residents' Area Societies' Welfare Group (GRASWG). "We the contacted MNS workers and they helped us save the trees."

When contacted Shalini Thackeray of the MNS said, "The trees were being cut without BMC supervision. The security guards were misbehaving with the residents, so we had to intervene."

Sanjay Hegde, president of GRASWG, said that the foundation is been chopping the trees to make way for a club. "As per the old contract, the foundation was supposed to keep 67% of the 12,000-sq m plot open to public. The foundation plans to build a bar inside the club, which is located exactly opposite to Vidyanidhi School. The BMC should cancel its agreement with the foundation," he said adding that the civic body should either maintain the plot itself or hand it over to the locals.

The BMC's garden department termed the episode as a 'severe tree trimming' exercise by the foundation.

Ramesh Pawar, assistant municipal commissioner of K(west) ward, said, "Only stems are left, rest everything was cut. From the report we have received stop work notice to transplant trees on this RG plot was revoked in oct 28, 2009. On September 18, 2010, superintendant of gardens said permission for transplanting trees was valid. Hence, I cannot take stringent action."

Sohail Kusumgar, trustee of the foundation said, "I'm not aware of this tree cutting."