NMMC removes concrete blocks around 4,000 trees

Fearing a notice from the National Green Tribunal, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has removed concrete structures within the one-metre radius of 4,000 trees on footpaths in eight nodes

Recorders from the city engineering department said as of April 28, around 4,000 trees between Vashi and Airoli were deconcretised. Concrete structures around trees in other nodes will be removed within 10 days.

Violation of NGT rules

Mohan Dagaonkar, City Engineer NMMC, “As National Green Tribunal rules prohibit construction within the one-metre radius of trees, we have started deconcretising trees on footpaths. The officials concerned in each ward have been asked to submit reports on completion of work. We have also left one-metre space around new saplings planted on stretches laid with paver blocks.” NGT guidelines state that a minimum area of 1.25 m x 1.25 m around the trees should not be cemented and roads should not be widened till the trunks of trees. Roots of trees planted on asphalted roads die gradually and increases the chances of trees toppling during a storm.

Arati Chauhan, a green activist from Nerul whose online petition drawing attention to the decreasing green cover in the city has been signed by 590 people, said, “It is heartening to see deconcretisation work has begun. Trees planted on roads are surrounded by tar and they should always be deconcretised.”