07 February,2022 08:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
The banyan tree has been secured with a green cloth around its base on Sunday. Pic/Ranjeet Jadhav
Taking serious note of mid-day's article on how construction material was choking a heritage banyan tree, the contractor appointed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has started clearing the materials surrounding the base of the tree near an under construction metro station of the Dahisar-Andheri East Metro-7, near Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Centre.
An MMRDA official said, "Instructions were given to the concerned officials to look into the issue and the work of clearing the construction material surrounding the tree started on Saturday itself." Sources said the sudden action came after Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday morning instructed the MMRDA authorities to immediately look into it.
On February 5, mid-day reported how it found an old banyan tree on Thursday [February 3] which was surrounded by construction material, such as stones, gravel and traces of concrete. The report also stated that if these were not cleared from the base of the tree at the earliest, it might harm the tree. Green activists had also come down heavily on MMRDA about the same.
When a mid-day team visited the location on Sunday, it found the material removed and the tree base surrounded by a green cloth. Green Activist Zoru Bhathena said, "Grateful that MMRDA has taken immediate steps to protect the tree."
