Mumbai developers forfeit Rs 4.25 crore in tree deposits across six BMC wards since 2022

What is the minimum value of a tree that may have taken decades to grow According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporationrsquos documented fee structure the answer is Rs 10000 mdash peanuts for hugeprofitmaking developers And that has proven to be one of the biggest loopholes in the tree conservation process especially at a time when almost the entire city is under constructionldquoAs per the set rules when developers buy land and need to remove trees to make way for construction they are required to replant or transplant the same number of trees that are removedpopcorn numberRs 25000 descMaximum deposit for transplanting a tree classDefaultWhen developers buy land and need to remove trees to make way for construction they must transplant the same number of trees they remove Representation PicsAtul KambleAn amount starting from Rs 10000 per tree that can go up to Rs 20000 to Rs 25000 per tree depending on the type age and size of the tree is required to be deposited with the BMC at each ward level The money is refunded once the required replantation or transplantation is completedrdquo said an official from the BMCrsquos garden department However BMCs own records show that the amounts being forfeited by the developers are far from insignificantpopcorn numberRs 6000 descDeposit for cutting a tree classDefaultRTI revelationsJeetendra GhadgeData received via a fresh RTI reply obtained from the garden department by founder of the Whistleblowerrsquos Foundation activist Jeetendra Ghadge shows that Rs 425 crore in treerelated deposits was forfeited between 2022 and May 20 2026 across just six civic wards of the city ldquoImagine what the numbers will be if we consider all the wards While we had demanded data for all wards only those of six had been provided The BMC records prescribe a Rs 10000 security deposit per tree for transplantation while the deposit for tree cutting is Rs 6000 per treerdquo said GhadgeGround realitiesOn paper the system appears straightforward remove a tree replace it But environmentalists and activists are now questioning what happens when the alternative is simply to let the deposit go ldquoA typical plot may have only a handful of trees Even if four trees are removed the deposit would work out to a maximum of roughly R1 lakh mdash an amount that may not act as a significant deterrent in a large development project A mature tree is not an object that can be replaced overnight It takes years mdash and often decades mdash to develop a substantial canopy and provide the ecological benefits associated with a mature urban tree Its removal can mean the loss of shade cooling carbon absorption stormwater interception and habitat Developers are getting away by paying R10000 per tree the BMC should stop this deposit system and force the developers to make sure that they plant and care for the transplanted treerdquo said GhadgeIssue goes beyond moneyldquoThe bigger concern is what happens to the trees In the past there have been concerns over trees being cut within Mumbais limits and compensatory plantation being carried out outside the city Now if developers can effectively choose to forfeit the deposit instead of completing the mandated replacement even that compensatory measure risks becoming meaninglessrdquo said environmentalist Adityanath DasExpert ViewDr Nagesh Tekale Tree expert and conservationistlsquoA tree that has stood on a Mumbai plot for decades cannot simply be replaced by money deposited with the civic body Nor can a sapling planted elsewhere immediately compensate for the loss of a mature tree that provided shade absorbed pollutants and helped regulate the cityrsquos increasingly harsh urban environment Increasing the deposit amount and charging high monetary penalties can be quick and immediate solutions but ideally this should be the last resortTree deposit forfeitures from 2020 to May 20 2026 Source Response to Jitendra Ghadgersquos RTI applicationA more productive way of handling this situation is adopting something thatrsquos done in Bali They have established land parcels where all cut trees are transplantedreplanted And today that has become a tourist attraction This can help in preserving the green cover and prove to be a mode of income Also at such spots information can be imparted on how to scientifically transplantreplant a tree Also developing such land parcels should be made a mandate under the CSR policy for each developerrsquo