Mumbai, July 1: The Bombay High Court asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to consider the findings of a survey conducted by an intervenor in a PIL on tree de-concretisation after the survey allegedly found several trees still encased in concrete, asphalt, paver blocks and debris despite the civic body's claim of near-complete compliance.
Intervenor Disputes BMC Claim
A bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and Kamal Khata was hearing the PIL filed by activist Rohit Joshi, seeking de-concretisation around the bases of trees in Mumbai and Thane and raising concerns over deaths and injuries caused by falling trees.
The PIL also seeks directions to civic authorities to prepare a disaster management plan, including compensation and compassionate employment for the families of victims of tree-fall incidents.
During the hearing on Tuesday, the court heard an intervention application filed by social activist Sagar Ugale, who disputed the BMC's affidavit claiming that only around 5% of the de-concretisation work remains pending across the city.
Ugale's advocate submitted that a joint inspection with officials from the BMC's Garden Department was conducted on June 25 pursuant to an earlier court order.
During the inspection, the intervenor claimed to have found concrete, asphalt, paver blocks, road construction material and debris still surrounding the bases of several trees.
Survey Findings Submitted
According to the intervenor, inspections were carried out on 832 trees across more than 35 roads in seven civic wards, including Malad, Fort, Santacruz and Dahisar.
The survey found that 321 trees had inadequate open soil space or improperly constructed tree basins, while 471 trees required further scientific de-concretisation. The intervenor contended that these findings contradict the BMC's claim that only a small portion of the work remains pending.
The intervention application further alleged that many trees continue to lack sufficient open soil for water percolation and root aeration, affecting their health and stability. It also stated that if the work has been shown as completed only on paper, accountability should be fixed.
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HC Seeks Detailed Methodology
The High Court directed the petitioners and the intervenor to submit their survey findings and suggestions to the BMC. It also asked the intervenor to file a detailed note explaining the survey methodology, along with supporting material, including tree-wise data, photographs and geo-tagged records. The matter has been posted for further hearing after four weeks.
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