Mumbai : After an order from the National Green Tribunal, the BMC has started the process of removing asphalt around the bases of trees across Mumbai. However, out of 19 lakh trees in the city, the civic body claims that it has managed to de-concretise only around 11,790 in over a month’s time.
This is a task they have been ordered to complete within three months. In an affidavit filed before the court recently, the civic body asked the NGT to provide them with more time to complete work on all 19 lakh trees.
According to the affidavit submitted by the BMC to the NGT, the civic body has deconcretised the maximum number of tree bases — 3,700 — in Zone IV, which corresponds to Andheri (W), Ville Parle, Juhu, Goregaon and Malad. Of these, close to 1,500 trees have been deconcretised in the Goregaon area.
According to BMC’s latest tree census, N ward, which has Ghatkopar and Vikhroli have the highest number of trees — 2,65,334., of which the BMC has deconcretised just 246.
According to the census, S ward, which is the area corresponding to Bhandup and Powai has 2,44,520 trees. The civic body has deconcretised just 52 trees in this area. Together, the N, S and T wards comprise of Zone VI and the BMC has deconcretised only 552 trees in these areas.
The zone with the least number of deconcretized trees is Zone V with 314, in areas of Chembur, Govandi, Kurla and Sion.
In the area of south Mumbai, the civic body has deconcretised a total of 1,694 trees and wards in this area are known to have the least number of trees in Mumbai.
