Civic chiefs not allowed to permit tree cutting

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has stayed the amendment to the Tree Act that allows the commissioner of any municipal corporation to permit cutting off up to 25 trees without permission from the tree authority. The court took cognisance of the complaint of the petitioner stating that many trees were being cut. While restraining commissioners from passing such orders, the court asked the state to explain the logic behind the amendment.

A division bench of justices A.S. Oka and P.N. Deshmukh while hearing a public interest litigation filed by activist Rohit Joshi was informed that there was large scale tree cutting going on in Thane through the permissions of the Thane Municipal commissioner in the absence of a tree authority being constituted by the civic corporation. 

Advocate Zoru Bathena appearing for another petitioner on similar issues concurred and informed the court about an amendment which stated that such applications need not approach the Tree Authority. Bathena told the court that in the backdrop of this amendment many trees had been cut indiscriminately. 

While staying the amendment, the court asked the state to justify the same and provide answers to questions raised by the court and the petitioners In light of urgency by an intervenor from Thane, the issue of cutting of Thane trees will be heard on March 7 while that of Mumbai trees will be heard on March 23.