Times of India: Navi Mumbai: Monday, 27 April 2026.
Despite multiple
plantation projects over the past decade, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation
(NMMC) had no consolidated data on how many native and fruit-bearing trees
survived, according to a 43-page RTI response. The information, sought by
NatConnect Foundation in Navi Mumbai, asked for ward-wise plantation data,
survival status and future plans. The civic body responded with a compilation
of administrative records, including work orders, approvals and expenditure
statements.
Plantation works across 2016 to 2024 carried project costs ranging from a few lakhs to upwards of Rs 50-60 lakh each, indicating cumulative spending likely running into several crores, NatConnect director B N Kumar said, citing the NMMC response. The records showed plantation works were tied largely to one-year maintenance clauses, which ecologists said were inadequate for ensuring tree survival in urban conditions. They said saplings in high-stress environments required sustained, multi-year care, but the documents provided no evidence of follow-up audits or long-term monitoring once initial project obligations ended. Kumar termed the response evasive. "We asked for survival data on native and fruit-bearing trees. What we received was a ledger of projects," he said. "There is no ward-wise account, no survival audit and no clarity on species. The response did not disclose a single consolidated figure, neither the total number of trees planted nor the total funds spent over the decade," Kumar stated. The gap reflected a deeper shift from intent to indifference.
Plantation works across 2016 to 2024 carried project costs ranging from a few lakhs to upwards of Rs 50-60 lakh each, indicating cumulative spending likely running into several crores, NatConnect director B N Kumar said, citing the NMMC response. The records showed plantation works were tied largely to one-year maintenance clauses, which ecologists said were inadequate for ensuring tree survival in urban conditions. They said saplings in high-stress environments required sustained, multi-year care, but the documents provided no evidence of follow-up audits or long-term monitoring once initial project obligations ended. Kumar termed the response evasive. "We asked for survival data on native and fruit-bearing trees. What we received was a ledger of projects," he said. "There is no ward-wise account, no survival audit and no clarity on species. The response did not disclose a single consolidated figure, neither the total number of trees planted nor the total funds spent over the decade," Kumar stated. The gap reflected a deeper shift from intent to indifference.
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