'Broaden road without cutting trees'

After residents of Napean Sea Road filed a petition yesterday against the indiscriminate cutting of trees to widen the road, the Bombay High Court asked the BMC and the Tree Authority to look at alternate plans.

After residents of Napean Sea Road filed a petition yesterday against the indiscriminate cutting of trees to widen the road, theu00a0Mumbai High Court asked the BMC and the Tree Authority to look at alternate plans.

"The BMC has been ordered to look into architect Rahul Kadri's plan, which achieves the objectives of creating pedestrian walkways, taxi stands, parking and bus stops between the trees and widened roads. This will also ensure a smooth flow of traffic and it's better than cutting trees," said Bittu Sehgal, a petitioner and an
environmentalist.

Chopped! A tree that was felled by the BMC at Napean Sea Road as part of the road-widening project. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Nearly 30 trees have been felled at Napean Sea Road as part of the road-widening project. "We are all for widening the road, but we need to find an alternative. Trees cannot be cut. Else, our street will become another concrete expressway," said Chaitan Dalal, the co-petitioner.

The petition said that the Tree Authority's plan to transplant 50 trees on the street was unviable since botanist findings revealed that only 11 of around 206 trees that originally dotted the sidewalks could be transplanted.