Maharashtra State Tree Authority Approves Cutting of 753 Trees in Mumbai, Thane

In a significant development, the Maharashtra State Tree Authority (MSTA) has granted approvals for the removal of 753 trees across Mumbai and Thane. These decisions were made during the MSTA's ninth meeting on July 31.

The first project involves the making of a new train station between Thane and Mulund on the Central Railway. This will require the removal of 382 trees. An additional 371 trees, including 14 heritage trees, are planned to be cut down for the construction of a private structure in Dadar on Rafi Nagar Kidwai Marg. This is requested by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)'s gardens department.

These permissions may be the last of their kind granted by the MSTA. MSTA was established in January 2022 by the previous MVA government by amending the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act. Maharashtra became the first state to establish such an authority to control widespread tree-felling.

However, the recent legislative changes have shifted the authority back to local tree authorities. The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly passed a law to approve the removal of about 200 trees without the permission of the MSTA on July 28.  Now, the BMC's tree authority in Mumbai will consider these tree removal requests. This will make the MSTA's role limited to paper existence.

Since its establishment, the MSTA has already approved the removal of over 12,000 trees throughout the state, with major petitions rising from Nagpur, Pune, and Mumbai. Even heritage trees have not been spared, with around 300 of them being removed to make way for various projects and an additional 5,000 trees scheduled for relocation.

Of the 753 trees slated for removal, 358 will be transplanted, but the responsibility for selecting suitable beneficiary locations lies with the project proponents. This has raised concerns among environmentalists due to the historically low success rates of transplantation efforts.

Unfortunately, data on the success rate of transplantation authorised by the Authority is not readily available. Interestingly, the MSTA has requested indemnity bonds from the proposers of both projects, offering legal protection to these parties from potential repercussions arising from tree removal.