MUMBAI: After complaints from environmentalists stating concrete packed around the base is killing the city’s trees, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s tree department, on Tuesday, said that they will remove the concrete by Julyend.
A tree with a concretised base at Juhu Tara Road.
Environmentalists have said the concrete is affecting the development of roots and weakening the trees. In January, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed BMC to remove concrete within a radius of one metre around tree trunks and ensure that no construction or repair work is done in that space. This order came after Mumbai-based NGO Vanashakti filed an application for removal of all concrete bases in the critical root zone of the trees in Mumbai.
Vijay Hire, garden superintendent, tree department, BMC said, “Over the last two months, we have already freed 8,484 trees from concretisation at their base. We hope to clear out almost all complaints that have come to us regarding the issue by the end of the month.”
Hire added that the road department and telecom companies have been warned under the Maharashtra Tree Preservation Act that action will taken against individual contractors who practice concretisation.
On Tuesday, Mumbai-based activist, Sumaira Abdulali, sent more than 250 pictures of concretisation or paver blocks around the base of trees in Bandra, Khar, Santacruz and Juhu to the tree department. Hire said that these trees, too, will be freed of the concrete around their bases. “I have directed the respective zonal officers to visit the spots that have been provided to us across the suburbs and within the next two weeks, the de-concretisation process will be completed,” said Hire.
“Cement is restricting the growth of tissues in the lower half of the tree bark and there is no scope for the expansion of cells that leads to tree damage and uprooting during monsoons,” said Marselin Almeida, botanist.
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