While Mumbai grapples with deteriorating air quality and shrinking green cover, 255 trees within the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) will face the axe, and another 201 will be transplanted, to set up the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) campus near Film City in Goregaon East.

According to sources in the government, wildlife clearance for the project, whose estimated cost is Rs 588.82 crore, was granted during the 25th State Board of Wildlife (SBWL) meeting, which took place on January 7. The chief wildlife warden laid down 18 terms and conditions before clearing the project, but final clearance from the National Board for Wildlife is awaited.