Objecting to the felling of 48 trees in their neighbourhood for a construction project, residents of Wadala in South Mumbai have urged the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to halt all tree-cutting activity at the construction site and conduct an on-site inspection of the premises.

The residents of Island City Centre (ICC) One and Two cooperative housing societies wrote to the BMC on Tuesday. The letter states that the trees being cut within the compound serve as a natural habitat and seasonal sanctuary for 2000 to 5000 migratory cranes every year. While the civic body’s garden department granted the developer permission to cut the trees in April this year, residents have raised concerns over whether the permissions were issued following a comprehensive assessment of the potential habitat loss.

Hira Bhatia, a resident of Island City Centre, said, “They have begun indiscriminately cutting fully grown trees. Of the few trees that now remain, very few are actually home to these beautiful migratory birds that visit us each year. We are requesting that at least those trees be spared, and on compassionate grounds, the habitat of these birds should be preserved.”