To control illegal tree-cutting in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday directed all the municipal corporations in the region to come up with a website with details about the number of trees in the jurisdiction of these corporations, the permissions given to cut trees, and details about re-plantation.
Mr. Fadnavis was responding to queries raised in the Assembly following a calling attention motion regarding the cutting of 25,000 trees from 2010 to 2016 in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) limits.
Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Ashish Shelar asked if it was necessary to give permission to cut so many trees. “Were two trees planted for every tree that was cut? Did those trees survive?” asked Mr. Shelar.
Minister of State for Urban Development Department Ranjit Patil replied that a detailed report about the trees cut would be prepared to check whether all the rules were followed.
With more questions raised over trees cut in the jurisdiction of different corporations, Mr. Fadnavis intervened, saying that a website be prepared with details about the existing trees and permissions to cut trees.
Sena MLA Ashok Patil said private developer Piramal Realty had chopped down 238 trees in Bhandup, but had failed to replant trees or new saplings as per the rule. He demanded that the developer’s tree-cutting permission be revoked and action be taken against him.
Mr. Fadnavis said the developers found cheating the system shall be dealt with sternly, adding that the developers are required to plant double the number of the trees they have cut.
