Mumbai: The BMC has registered three separate cases with the Powai police against unidentified people after seven coconut trees were illegally found cut in Powai. According to the police, on December 18, 2023, a local citizen Ramakant Khare complained to the BMC that someone illegally cut four coconut trees near Prasad Hotel, beside Morya Cars and submitted trees’ photographs to the civic body.
In January, the BMC visited the place, found no trees, and discovered that someone had cut the trees for the hotel construction. Another incident occurred at Peru Baugh, where two coconut trees were illegally cut and branches of another coconut tree were also trimmed. A local citizen Shabbir Shaikh complained to the BMC about it with photographs in August 2023. Subsequently, the civic wrote the complaint to the Powai police immediately.
The third incident occurred at IIT Market, where someone made seven holes in the trucks of two drumstick trees and a coconut tree. A local citizen complained to the BMC about it in November 2023 and then the civic administration filed a case.
Akshta Mhatre, 30, an officer of the Park department with the BMC filed the complaints and three different cases under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees (Amendment) Act.
