BMC shortlists 4 experts to form Tree Authority

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finally shortlisted four experts to be appointed as nominated members in its tree authority. The garden department of the BMC will submit the list to the Bombay high court on Tuesday.

The court had given BMC a deadline to appoint environmental experts in the tree authority as per rules. However, the entire administration procedure for appointment of experts had not been completed as the last meeting of the tree authority was adjourned.

A senior officer from the garden department said, “Only two corporators who are members of the tree authority were present in the meeting last week. The commissioner called for the members again, but no one was present. Finally, the meeting was adjourned. Thus, the tree authority did not approve the list of four experts we have finalised to be appointed as members. However, despite this we will put up our finalised experts’ list and other proceedings to the court Tuesday.”

The HC in October 2018 had restrained the tree authority from taking up any tree removal proposal as it had only corporators (politicians) and no experts. The court was hearing the PIL filed by activist Zoru Bathena against mass destruction of green cover in the city under the garb of development.

The MMRC had also approached the HC recently, pointing out the urgency in terms of formation of the tree authority as major tree removal proposals including for the metro car shed at Aarey were pending sanction due to which construction work had ground to a halt.