Treat illegal felling as culpable homicide, says Tree Authority
Mumbai: Members of the Tree Authority have written a letter to municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak to seek permission to observe the day of the Tree Authority meeting on June 4,a day before World Environment Day, as ‘No Tree Cutting Permission Day’.
The letter says that the agenda of the meeting should not be to cut trees but only to protect and promote trees.
“When the entire world is busy celebrating Vishwa Paryawaran Divas (World Environment Day) through various efforts to protect the flora and fauna of the world, the Tree Authority members must participate in similar activities,’’ said horticulturalist U N Singh, a member of the Tree Authority. He said the Tree Authority meeting was going to be held on Wednesday, just 10 hrs before World Environment Day.
Dr Nilesh Baxi, one of the members of the Tree Authority, said issues like benefits of tissue culture, how to go about tree banking, growing more trees in the road median and in lanes that have no greenery should be discussed in the meeting. The members say the body should also focus on convincing schools, colleges and other social organisations to grow more trees in their premises.
The letter also voices concerns about roots of trees being choked with cement and tiles. The letter requests the commissioner to maintain better records of trees, start a minute book, stop transplantation of trees and support illegal felling as culpable homicide.
“There are many programs on that day to protect and promote greenery. Protection and promotion of trees is also the basis of the Tree Authority,’’ says the letter.
“So far we have not received the agenda. But it’s our request to the commissioner and tree officer to discuss some constructive subjects related to Vishwa Paryawaran Divas instead of preparing for Vriksha Maran Divas,’’ said Singh. TNN
BMC TREE CENSUS
BMC TREE CENSUS
According to the tree census which is being conducted by the BMC, there were 18,38,899 trees in 23 wards of the city as of April this year. This figure excludes the green cover of Aarey Colony, Goregaon and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park area.
The last tree census was carried out in 1998 even though the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Preservation and Protection of Trees Act says it should be done every five years. In 2006, the tree authority entrusted the work of conducting a census of existing trees on all land, including private ones but excluding mangroves and forest land, to the Environment and Biotechnology Foundation.
The BMC has laid down specific guidelines to be followed while carrying out the survey. The format says, information like location, plot number, name of the premises, area of the plot and open space have to be furnished by the enumerators.