Mumbai: 4,622 societies, govt & private premises told to trim trees by May end

A BMC worker trims a tree in Mulund on November 4, 2011. Representation Pic

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sent notices to 4,622 societies and government and private entities to trim trees on their premises before the monsoon. The civic body has also surveyed 1.15 lakh major roadside trees and decided to trim 85,505 of them before the end of May.

Out of the 1.15 lakh trees, 24,000 have been trimmed to date, the civic body claimed. According to the tree census conducted in 2017, there are approximately 29.75 lakh trees in the municipal corporation area in the city. Out of these, 15.63 lakh are on the premises of private institutions, while 11.25 lakh stand around government buildings and establishments. Out of the total number of trees, 1.85 lakh are on the roadside and 1.15 lakh of these are big. Trees that are small and pose no threat are not considered in the survey.

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"The responsibility of taking care of the trees in housing societies, government, semi-government organisations, private places, etc., is of the respective owner or user. The corporation has issued 4,622 notices for trimming and balancing trees to private and government land owners/users," said an official from the garden department of the BMC. The official added that in case the trees are to be pruned by a contractor appointed by the municipal corporation, the process is likely to be completed within seven days. The fee charged by the contractor for tree trimming depends on the type and size of the tree, among other factors.

2017
Year the last tree census was held