Over the past six years, Mumbai has seen the removal of at least 21,028 trees, a significant environmental cost for the city’s infrastructural growth. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) data under the RTI Act, highlights the impact of development projects such as the Metro, bullet train, coastal road, sewage treatment plants, and the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road, Indian Express reported.
While the BMC has transplanted 21,916 trees during this period, the survival rate of these transplants is dismally low, with only 22% of trees surviving in 9 out of the 24 wards. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of transplantation as a mitigation strategy for tree loss.
The city’s tree census, last conducted in 2011, reported a total of 29,75,283 trees. However, the rapid pace of development, particularly in BMC’s S ward, which includes areas like Vikhroli and Kanjurmarg, has led to the highest number of tree felling at 2,602. Other wards like K-East, N ward, F/North, and G-South have also seen significant tree removals due to various infrastructure projects.
The BMC’s data reveals a direct correlation between development initiatives and the reduction of green cover. In 2022 alone, 5,584 trees were cut down, the highest annual number within the six years. This loss of greenery not only affects the city’s aesthetics and ecology but also contributes to carbon emissions, with the BMC’s Mumbai Climate Action Plan reporting a loss of 2,028 hectares of urban green cover between 2016 and 2021, resulting in 19,640.9 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
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