Uproar Over Tree Felling Ignites Environmental Debate in Mumbai

Residents in Mumbai's Chandivali suburb are protesting tree felling on a private plot, prompting environmental group NatConnect Foundation to seek intervention. Despite permissions granted in February 2024, cutting commenced recently, sparking local outrage. Leaders demand a halt, emphasizing that trees are crucial ecological systems, not mere landscape elements.

Mumbai's Chandivali suburb finds itself at the center of a heated environmental debate following the commencement of tree felling on a private plot. This action has provoked an outcry among local residents and activists.

The controversy began when permissions for cutting 45 and transplanting 70 trees, granted in February 2024, were enacted without recent public notice, leaving many residents shocked. NatConnect Foundation's director, B N Kumar, has called for immediate action, reaching out to both Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Municipal Commissioner.

Criticism has been strong among local leaders. Pravin Kumar Yadav emphasizes that compensatory planting fails to offset ecological loss, while Pamela Cheema, BMC-appointed committee chairperson, questions the broader planning implications, underscoring the role of trees as vital urban survival systems.

(With inputs from agencies.)