After two Baobab trees were cut for infrastructure development in the city last month, activists have written to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to save another 400-year old Baobab tree. Activists have raised concerns regarding concretisation of Marol Maroshi road which they claim will choke the ancient tree to death.
On April 27, a 300-year-old Baobab tree was cut down on the SV Road in Santacruz (West) for the construction work of Metro 2B, after which tree lovers have condemned the act. Around the same time, another Baobab tree on Marve Road in Malad (West) was hacked for the widening work of Malad-Marve road. Friends of Trees, a non-government organisation had asked the police to register a criminal complaint against the BMC and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region development Authority in the first instance, the Watchdog Foundation has demanded action from the chief minister in the second instance.
Concerns Raised Over Threat To Centuries-Old Baobab Tree In Aarey Colony
On Saturday, the Watchdog Foundation wrote to the municipal commissioner raising concerns about a 400-year-old Baobab tree in Aarey Colony. According to the letter, the tree located next to the JVLR Bridge on Marol-Maroshi Road is at threat due to the recent concretization of the road. The letter has alleged that the concretization around the tree base is in direct violation of established regulations, including the mandate for a concrete-free area of at least one meter around tree trunks.
Despite the clear guidelines set forth by the National Green Tribunal and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs regarding the protection of trees during civil works, the tree in question has been entirely engulfed by concrete, leaving no room for its roots to breathe or for water to percolate into the soil. This neglectful act tantamounts to a death sentence for a tree that has stood for over 400 years, serving as not only a natural heritage but also a vital component of our ecosystem," read the letter.
Calls For Environmental Remediation And Accountability
The green activists have demanded immediate action to rectify the mistake by removing the concrete surrounding the Baobab and implement measures to ensure non-occurrence of such negligence. It also demanded that the people responsible for this oversight should be made accountable for their actions and necessary steps should be taken against them.
"The current situation not only disregards environmental protection laws but also exhibits a blatant disregard for the ecological balance of our surroundings. Strict action should be taken against the concerned people to prevent similar incidents from happening elsewhere," said Godfrey Pimenta from the Watchdog Foundation.
