61% trees transplanted by Mumbai Metro in Aarey found dead: BHC

Naomi Pandya Posted on: 2019-11-20 10:01:33 Viewer: 605 Comments: 0 Country: India City: Mumbai

61% trees transplanted by Mumbai Metro in Aarey found dead: BHC

Mumbai (Urban Transport News): A high-level committee appointed by Bombay High Court (BHC) has recently carried out a three-day inspection of trees transplanted by Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) during the execution of work on Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ corridor. The committee has reported the high court that about 61% of trees, transplanted mostly in Aarey, were found dead. During the execution of Metro-3 work, the MMRC had uprooted a total of 1,561 trees and they were transplanted at 31 locations over the last few years. Out of them, 956 which were transplanted in Aarey colony, were found dead. Zoru Bhathena, who is on the team representing the petitioner said that on Tuesday inspection the committee has found that 684 of the 1,066 transplanted (about 64%) has died.

He said that no precaution had been taken during transplantation of the trees by the MMRC officials. Bhathena further said that the poor survival rate of the transplanted trees indicates that the Metro authority had not taken proper precautions while deciding on transplantation. The MMRC needs to check the health of a tree before initiating the transplantation, must follow the prescribed procedure to ensure it doesn’t die of shock. Questioning on the Authority, Bhathena said:

Like a human organ transplant, similar precaution needs to be taken for trees. They should not dump the trees just in some empty space without examining if the soil will help the trees’ growth or not. In Aarey, they transplanted most of the trees on finding empty spaces and without applying mind. For years trees didn’t grow on those spots due to unfriendly soil conditions, how could it help the transplanted trees?

Experts from the Tree Authority of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also pointed out that one needs to take precaution while uprooting trees. They said that there are also some species that cannot survive after transplantation. However, MMRC has different views and in its official statement issued later in today evening, they said:

In one of the largest urban plantation and transplantation drives are undertaken, as per the directive of the Tree Authority, MMRC has planted 23,846 new trees and transplanted 1,582 trees. While the survival rate of the freshly planted tree is 97%, 36.2% (572 trees) of the transplanted trees have survived despite the challenges posed by urban conditions. MMRC is fully committed to continue its best efforts for plantation and transplantation.

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation earlier claimed that the authority has planted over 21,000 trees in Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) to compensate for cutting the fully grown trees inside Aarey. The committee also visited the SGNP, however, the MMRC will submit the details of planted trees to the committee in the next few days. In October, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation had cut 2,141 trees to construct Metro car shed for Metro-3 just after Bombay High Court (BHC) had refused to declare Aarey colony as forest area and thereafter, the Supreme Court has stayed on further felling of trees from the Aarey area.





Also Read




Leave Your Comment!









Recent Comments!

No comments found...!