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RTI activist raises question over BMC claim on tree population in city

Expressing his thoughts about the same, green activist Godfrey Pimenta of the Watchdog Foundation has written a letter to the municipal commissioner that contests the claim of the BMC

RTI activist raises question over BMC claim on tree population in city
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Recently, the data compiled by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) indicated that there had been an increase of close to 11 lakh trees in Mumbai from the last decade. This claim has not gone down well with the activists who are agitated and have stated that the data provided by the civic body cannot be relied upon and that the claims of the Tree Authority are nothing but 'falsehood'.

Expressing his thoughts about the same, green activist Godfrey Pimenta of the Watchdog Foundation has written a letter to the municipal commissioner that contests the claim of the BMC. The letter to the civic body chief reads:

As per data released by the BMC, there has been an increase of 11 lakh trees in the last decade in Mumbai. As per information obtained under RTI by us, it is revealed that the BMC planted about 2443 trees in the last five years in K/East Ward. So, in a decade, the said trees could be about 5000 trees. In Mumbai, there are 24 Municipal Wards. As such, at the rate of 5000 trees per ward, the figure for the entire decade could be 1,20,000. During the last decade, lakhs of trees have been hacked for infrastructural and building development purposes. As such the figure quoted by the BMC about the increase in tree cover is totally falsehood."

Here is the data obtained through the RTI for the K East ward:

  • As per tree census 2018, there were 29.75 lakh trees in Mumbai
  • The tree cover for Mumbai in 2008 was 19 lakh trees
  • There has been an increase of nearly 11 lakh trees in the last decade

Earlier, the State of Indian Forest Cover Report 2019 was released on Monday, revealing that the mangrove cover in the region has increased by 16 sq km in the last two years alone. 

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