Mumbai: BMC’s beautification project continues to take toll on trees

The barrier that is being created on New Link Road in Andheri West, on Friday. Pics/Ranjeet Jadhav

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) appears to be still damaging trees while ‘beautifying' the city. The civic body is constructing a small barrier between trees on the sidewalk along New Link Road in Andheri West but the debris is being dumped at the base of the trees.

On Friday, when mid-day visited the southbound stretch of the stretch between DN Nagar and the Juhu Vile Parle Development (JVPD) Scheme signal, workers could be seen constructing the small barrier on the footpath. Shockingly, construction material was seen at the base of around five to six trees, which can pose a threat to their lives.

Debris dumped at the base of trees on the stretch

The Pune bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) told the civic body in 2015 to remove concrete from a one-metre radius of tree trunks and to guarantee that no building or maintenance work is done in that area.

In June 2023, mid-day in its report ‘Is BMC deliberately killing trees in city?' highlighted how cement concrete was being poured around the base of trees on Dhobi Ghat Road in Dahisar East and along the Western Express Highway in Bandra East. The story also revealed how, ironically, the civic body had been using plastic trees to decorate streets as part of its efforts to beautify the city.

Activist Zoru Bhathena said, "All of Mumbai is being made into a dump in the name of beautification. It is time the BMC stopped spending public money in this fashion and started doing some genuine cleaning and beautification."

Environmentalist Stalin D from NGO Vanashakti said, "A one-metre space has to be kept free at the base of trees, as per the orders of the NGT. Such collaring of trees is harmful to the health of the trees. It is also a waste of public money. Trees are naturally beautiful, they don't need any ‘beautification'."