140 trees between Marine Drive and Worli to be cleared for Coastal Road

BMC pastes notices on trees inside Tata Garden and along the Bhulabhai Desai Road, plans to chop down 500 more between Marine Drive and Worli

140 trees between Marine Drive and Worli to be cleared for Coastal Road

BMC notices pasted on trees inside Tata Garden

The Coastal Road project has once again left the citizens fuming as the civic body has initiated the process to get rid of 140 odd trees, and plans to axe 500 more between Marine Drive and Worli. Residents of south Mumbai on Sunday woke up to find notices pasted on trees inside Tata Garden and along the Bhulabhai Desai Road.

The residents and activists said the notices did not mention anything about sending their suggestions or objections. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said they will soon release a detailed notice that will also mention the number of trees to be removed from the area.

The BMC's Tree Department put out the notices to expedite the process of securing permissions. Of the 140 trees, BMC will chop down 61 and transplant 79 others to build the footpath as part of the widening of Bhulabhai Desai Road and construction of car parking under the Coastal Road project.

Dr Nilesh Baxi, a resident of the Bhulabhai Desai Road, said, "On Sunday morning, when I visited Tata Garden, I was shocked to see the contractor's labourers pasting notices on the trees. The notices did not even mention the last date for filing the objections. It did not say anything about hearing either. The BMC is asking for approval to cut down trees that will be an obstruction for a road that won't even be widened for another two years. Then what's the point hurrying?"

BMC notices pasted on trees inside Tata Garden

Further to the dismay of the citizens, about 500 trees will either be chopped down or transplanted, and the BMC will issue notices later this week, said sources. Tree Officer Jitendra Pardeshi confirmed that the BMC will issue the notices and give the citizens seven days for suggestions and objections as always.

The civic officials said the number of trees they earlier estimated to remove has reduced now.

Environmentalist and activist Zoru Bhathena said, "The trees are targeted for every infrastructure project. The number might have gone down from earlier estimation but it definitely won't reduce substantially."

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