Mumbai: The Watchdog Foundation, a citizens' group has strongly opposed proposed felling of 971 trees for the upcoming desalination plant in Mumbai, urging the BMC Tree Authority to reject the proposal until statutory planning and environmental requirements are fulfilled. "The proposal is yet to be officially tabled, but I have learnt it through sources that there is a hearing scheduled before the Superintendent of Gardens on the said proposal this week," said Godfrey Pimenta, trustee of Watchdog Foundation.
Watchdog Foundation Warns Of Biodiversity Loss And Impact On Mumbai's Green Cover
In an written objection submitted to the BMC's Superintendent of Gardens, Pimenta has said that while augmenting Mumbai’s water supply is important, it should not come at the cost of large-scale destruction of the city's existing green cover. Highlighting the ecological impact of removing 971 trees, the foundation said the loss could adversely affect biodiversity, air quality and temperature regulation, further depleting Mumbai's shrinking green cover.
The FPJ tried contacting BMC's Superintendent of Gardens Jitendra Pardeshi for a comment on any proposal for tree felling for desalination plant, however, he could be reached.
Foundation Questions Project's Status Under Mumbai Development Plan 2034
The objection comes amid the foundation demand on whether the desalination project has been duly incorporated into and examined under Mumbai's Development Plan 2034, wherever legally required. It has demanded that the project's land-use designation and necessary planning permissions be established before any permission for tree felling is granted.
In a recent reply to the foundation, the BMC defended its proposed 200 million-litres-per-day (MLD) seawater desalination plant at Manori against allegations of potential environmental damage and the absence of statutory clearances, saying the project was conceived after extensive marine studies and consultations with the local community.
The civic body disputed allegations that the desalination plant is not specifically marked in Mumbai’s Development Plan 2034 (DP) and that the project entails an unlawful change in land use. The BMC’s Executive Engineer (Water Supply Projects) stated that the DP framework covers the entire city except the Manori-Gorai-Uttan belt.
However, the BMC confirmed that the Collector of Mumbai Suburban District handed over advance possession of the designated land to the BMC specifically for the construction of the desalination plant, following an order issued on December 8, 2025.
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