BMC picks five spots for grand Urban Forest plan

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has identified five locations in the city where it will develop Urban Forests. The concept and suggestion were discussed at a meeting between various green activists and BMC commissioner Pravin Pardeshi, last month.

BMC officials had been asked to spot such locations where this concept could be developed. The BMC has been criticised over the intense concretisation of gardens and open spaces over the years and under this concept, it plans to plant as many trees as possible so as to create a dense plantation at the spot. Gardens at Kurla, Bandra fort, Chandivli, Annabhau Sathe Garden and Step Garden at Kandivli, which are over 20,000 square metres (excluding Step Garden, which is 19,000 square metres) will be turned into Urban forests.

Honorary Wildlife Warden of Mumbai, and member of state wildlife board, Mayur Kamath, said, "BMC gardens mostly have useless exotic or non-native trees and plants. Planting native trees in the Urban Forests will attract various species of birds and butterflies."

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