The Mumbai Tree Authority has approved the felling of 871 trees and the transplantation of 822 others to facilitate the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, one of the city's largest urban renewal initiatives.

The decision was taken during a recent Tree Authority meeting, where proposals related to multiple infrastructure projects across Mumbai were reviewed. According to civic officials, the removal and transplantation of trees are necessary to make way for rehabilitation buildings, internal roads, public utilities, and other infrastructure planned under the redevelopment project.

Authorities stated that the approvals were granted after following the prescribed legal procedures under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act and that compensatory plantation and transplantation of eligible trees will be undertaken to minimise the environmental impact.

The approval has, however, triggered concern among environmentalists and opposition leaders, who argue that the large-scale loss of green cover could adversely affect the city's already fragile urban ecosystem. They have questioned the survival rate of transplanted trees and called for greater transparency in monitoring compensatory plantations, stressing that tree transplantation often yields mixed results. Critics have also urged the civic administration to explore alternatives that would reduce the number of trees affected by the project.

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project aims to transform one of Asia's largest informal settlements through the construction of modern housing, upgraded civic infrastructure, commercial spaces, and improved public amenities while rehabilitating eligible residents.

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