Thane’s incidents of tree uprooting in the month of August is at its peak in comparison to the previous years, highlighting the inadequately maintained existing and newly planted trees in the city. Such incidents were lesser in the months of June and July, say Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) officials, citing the late arrival of monsoon this year.
According to activists, the city has witnessed many old and rare species of trees getting uprooted in various corners. As per the official figures provided by the Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) of Thane. In August, 2018, a total of 29 tree uprooting incidents were recorded. In 2019, it rose to 189. This year, more than 90 such incidents were reported in August alone. Talking about the cases in the months of June and July, a senior official from RDMC, Thane, said, "The difference in the figures was due to the late arrival of monsoon. However, the last 15 days has witnessed heavy rainfall, leading to maximum tree uprooting in August in comparison to the last two years. Daily 5 to 10 trees get uprooted; sometimes even more during heavy downpour in Thane."
Concretisation has been cited as the major reason behind trees uprooting in the city. The same has threatened the survival of many trees. "The concretisation affects the aeration process needed for trees, damaging their roots severely. Ultimately, the trees fall after a short period of time. This issue has been increasing in Thane since the last 10 years. Even after several complaints, so far, no efforts have been taken by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) to begin tree plantation with the process of de-concretisation despite the court's guidelines,” said Rohit Joshi, environmentalist and activist from Thane.
Joshi also added that the tree census, which is supposed to be carried after five years, has been skipped. "The last tree census by TMC was carried in 2011, which was supposed to be followed in 2016, which has not been done. Officials claim that they have conducted it, but it has not been disclosed yet. The next turn of the tree census is supposed to be followed in the year 2021," informed Joshi.
Activists say that Thane constituency claims to have around 5 lakh trees. However, they have often failed to prove their survival due to the lack of maintenance. "One and half years ago, TMC had purchased a tree transplantation machine worth Rs 4 crore, which is gathering dust. They have failed to carry on the tree transplant process properly," added Joshi.
The city has lost many species of trees. “However, areas like Kolshet, Naupada, Majiwada and Kasarwadawli still have the rare species of trees like Banyan, Peepul, Manilkara Hexandra and Baobab," said Kaustubh Darves, an environmentalist from Thane.
According to the civic body’s tree census, the city consists of around 300 species of trees. However, out of them, more than 50 per cent are on the verge of disappearing, due to frequent tree falls, development and the lack of maintenance of the remaining species of trees. “Hardly 2000 species of Banyan trees and merely 40 to 45 Baobab trees are left in the city,” added Darves.
The concerned department and officials are being instructed to prune trees and keep a check on dangerous ones to avoid such incidents. “Appointed officials have also been directed to work on de-concretisation soon. As far as the transplant machine is concerned, we are utilising it. Several trees have been replanted in the city," said Sandeep Malvi, deputy municipal commissioner, TMC.
