Chop tree, park car

The nullah at Sector 16 will soon be a parking lot. However, it has come with a price tag and at the expense of many full grown trees in the area

For a long time, Vashi residents have been demanding parking lots. In order to solve the parking woes in the city, the civic body had proposed to cover the nullah at Sector 16 that spreads from Shivaji Chowk to St Lawrence High School and develop a parking lot over it. This move was being opposed by nearby residents, as it would cause air and noise pollution in the area. After all the controversy and opposition, the proposal was initiated and the contract was assigned to Swastik Infrastructure.
In all this hoopla, no one noticed that there were several trees surrounding the nullah, which were eventually chopped to make space for the development of the parking area. Vijendra S, a resident of Sector 16-A, informs, “At least eight to 10 fully grown trees have already been cut, out of which about four were coconut trees and one was a gulmohar tree. Many trees have also been trimmed and most of them are lying in the debris, some were thrown away.  Around 10 more trees will be cut.
“There must be some alternative to save these old and healthy trees. It is very sad to see such huge trees being taken down,” adds Vijendra.
Residents are helpless as the trees have been cut already, and permissions were taken for the same.
Environmentalist V A Rode from Vashi informs, "Trees obstructing any construction can be trimmed, and only if they are diseased or weak, can they be cut. If they can be saved, they should not be cut; instead, they are to be transplanted to some other areas. This has been done by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority  (MMRDA) previously, and those trees are healthy even today.
“According to Maharashtra State Tree Cutting Act 1979, if any tree has to be chopped or even a branch of a tree has to be trimmed, valid reason along with the details of the tree and its photograph must be submitted to the authorities (ward officer/ horticulturist/ tree officer/ Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner). After this, they supervise the tree and if satisfied with the reasons, they allow them to cut the tree but before that the complainer has to deposit some amount and plant a sapling which must grow well at least for a year and only then the money is refunded,” adds Rode.
NMMC Horticulture Officer S R Kamble informs, “Permission has been taken to cut those trees and some of the others that have been trimmed will be transplanted."
Although, NMMC horticulture department administrative officer Chandrakant Tayde and local corporator, Raju Shinde, tell a different story. They say that none of the trees will be transplanted.
Chandrakant Tayde, informs, "The contractor had taken permission from the tree authorities to cut 15 to 20 trees. Those trees cannot be transplanted as they were wild and this can be done only for a specific species."
Corporator Raju Shinde, says the same but when reminded about the coconut and gulmohar trees, he adds that the roots have already become weak, due to concretisation, and they cannot be transplanted.

FACT FILE
•    `5 crore will be spent in development of the new parking area at Sector 16
•    The parking area will accommodate 250 two wheelers and 200 four wheelers
•    The construction is said to be completed by June 2012
•    15 to 20 trees will be cut during the construction

--INDIRA THAKUR