THE AXE EFFECT BMC okays hacking of 481 trees for hsg project

3 Corporators Storm Out Of Meeting, Greens See Red

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday passed a proposaltochop down 481treeson a single plot in Goregaon (E) for a housing project. 
    The move has upset environmentalists and corporators. As an act of protest, three corporators—Ameet Satam, Manisha Chaudhari and Ciril D'souza—walked out of the BMC's Tree Authority meeting. "The administration is not serious about its commitment to keep the city green," said Satam, a member of the Tree Authority. "Amendments are made to the agenda a night before the meeting so that we do not get enough time to go through proposals. Our objections are dismissed and proposals are passed without our consent," Satam added. 
    According to the norms, the agenda of a meeting should be given to all Tree Authority members at least three days in advance. Chaudhari, also a Tree Authority member, said, "This proposal should have been brought up in the next meeting. If the issue was so important then it could have been taken up during a special meeting." 
    Municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte, who is also the chairman of the authority, told TOI, "The proposal was put to vote and passed on the condition that the developer, Kingston Properties, will transplant a certain number of trees. The developer has also pledged to plant saplings in place of the removed trees." 
    Last year, the BMC allowed Kingston Properties of the Oberoi group to remove 278 treesfor thesamehousing project. Friday's decision will take the total number of trees axed for the project to 759. "We cannot allow them to keep hacking trees, especially as they have not given us any details on the number of tress transplanted or saplings planted," said Chaudhari. 
    Vikas Oberoi, managing director of Oberoi Constructions, said, "The Oberoi group has always followed the law and has a record of each and every tree that has been removed and the tree that has been planted in its place." 
    RishiAgarwal, an environmentalist, told TOI, "The candle is burning at both ends. Indigenous trees that support a vast bio-diversity are being hacked and Bottle Palms, that have only ornamental value and do little for the environment, are being planted in their place."

• Last year, the BMC allowed Kingston Properties of the Oberoi group to remove 278 trees for the same housing project 

• Friday's decision will take the total number of trees axed for the Goregaon (E) housing project to 759