Trees that have their roots embedded in concrete of roads and footpaths are to be particularly taken note of to ascertain their health.
Mumbai : The National Green Tribunal has directed the BMC to conduct a survey of all trees in Mumbai particularly the ones that have their roots embedded in concrete of roads and footpaths to ascertain their health.
However, areas that come under the army, navy, air force, dockyard and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) are to be excluded from this survey. It has directed the BMC to conduct this survey in a ‘scientific manner’ with help from the horticulture department.
Meanwhile, the BMC also responded to an application by city-based NGO Vanashakti informing that it will create a road map and draft a programme to save the city’s trees. It will submit it to the tribunal within four weeks. This will include an action plan for de-concretisation of trees and clearing tree bases of garbage.
In August, the NGT had directed the BMC to deconcretise all tree bases in Mumbai within three months. Over the next month, the BMC managed to deconcretise only 11,790 out of the 19 lakh trees in the city. It asked the NGT to extend the period of three months without providing a definitive time frame, on grounds that it lacks the resources to complete the task in three months. The court had then directed the BMC to clarify how much time would be required to clear all tree bases in the city.
