No public hearing on axing in seven months: Activists

Mumbai: While the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) tree authority was formed seven months after the civic elections, it has maintained that no permissions were given for proposals where more than 25 trees were proposed for being chopped, during the period when it was not in existence. The Government Resolution (GR) dated January 16, 2017 stated that a municipal commissioner could exercise the power of the tree authority for cutting of 25 or fewer trees. However, activists have maintained that no public hearing was conducted for the same, which is mandatory for any proposal.

The Asian Age had earlier reported that 5,200 trees have been tabled before the newly formed tree authority of the TMC. It was formed in October after the Municipal Elections in February this year, howpever activists have asserted that several trees were approved for being hacked in the meantime. Denying the allegation, the deputy commissioner in charge of garden, Omprakash Divate said, “The Municipal Commissioner has only approved the proposals of 25 or less trees, pertaining to both government and private projects. No massive tree cutting for any period was sanctioned during this time.”

“During the absence of the tree authority, we had sent objections and suggestions in reply to the public notices of tree cutting proposals in newspapers. For at least 25 or more trees, no public hearing was conducted during the whole time and yet they were given permissions. The due process of a public hearing cannot be avoided by the authority,” said Pradeep Indulkar, Thane based activist.

Meanwhile, environmentalists have contended that the legality of the GR will be challenged as the builders can opt for cutting several trees by sending proposals of 25 trees consecutively for the same project. “Several trees can be hacked under the garb of 25 trees or less. Moreover, the government has also amended the compensatory plantation against the chopped trees by reducing the number of replanted trees. Earlier, for each tree hacked, three trees had to be replanted, now it has come down to two trees against one,” said Zoru Bhathena, Mumbai based Tree activist.