The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Antony Waste Handling Cell Ltd. are coming together for an urban forest restoration project called “ReRoot” at the Kanjurmarg waste processing facility. The initiative will increase green cover, support ecological restoration, and transform the landfill area into a healthier urban ecosystem.
As part of the project, nearly 16,000 trees will be planted across the Kanjurmarg dumping ground. The plantation drive will include more than seven native and environmentally suitable species. Officials said the selected plants are hardy and capable of surviving the challenging conditions found at landfill sites.
BMC is trying to address pollution and odour concerns linked to the Kanjurmarg dumping ground. The Bombay High Court has many times raised concerns over this. In response, civic authorities have taken steps to create a green buffer zone between the waste facility and surrounding neighbourhoods.
The plantation drive is part of a larger environmental mitigation plan. The strategy will reduce the environmental impact of the landfill and speed up its transition into a scientifically managed waste-processing ecosystem.
According to the plantation plan, the green buffer will be developed using a layered arrangement of vegetation. Tall trees, medium-height plants, and dense shrubs will be planted together to improve the effectiveness of the barrier. The design will help reduce pollution and control foul smells from the site.
The new plantations will add to the 12,800 plants that are already growing at the Kanjurmarg facility. It will also promote ecological restoration and encourage public participation. Citizens have been invited to join the tree-planting activities and take part in the effort.
The Kanjurmarg facility currently handles around 6,000 metric tonnes of waste every day. Of this, nearly 1,000 metric tonnes are recycled. The remaining waste is sent to the bioreactor plant for further processing. Interestingly, there are already many large-scale tree-planting efforts going on across Maharashtra.