Activists Demand Halt To Felling Of 78 Trees Behind Parel Railway Station, Call For Transparent Public Consultation

Activists have demanded the Central Railway to stop axing down 78 trees behind Parel Railway Station on the land acquired from the Tata Mill Compound. Residents have also started an online petition to save the trees which are being felled to facilitate construction of the 5th and 6th railway lines between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kurla railway stations.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has pasted notices on 78 trees that are to be axed to make way for the fifth and sixth railway lines between the CSMT and Kurla railway stations. While these trees are serving their notice period, green activists have came out in their support and asked the civic body to spare the trees which are over 45 years old.

Activists have raised concerns regarding the transparency and legality of felling the trees highlighting that the notices for the tree-felling were strategically placed behind the trees, making them inaccessible to the general public. Activists from the Watchdog Foundation alleged that although the notices were signed by the BMC Tree Authority December 4, but were pasted only on December 20, leaving citizens with inadequate time to lodge objections within the mandatory 30-day period.

In a letter to the Ministry of Environment, Watchdog Foundation has alleged that the BMC is carrying out inadequate efforts to minimize ecological damage as only 2 of these trees are proposed to be transplanted. It has demanded the Central Railway and BMC Tree Authority to halt the felling of trees until a comprehensive and transparent public consultation process is conducted.

It has also demanded that the notices for tree-cutting are displayed prominently and in compliance with legal requirements to allow public participation. It has also demanded an Investigation and proposal of alternative construction methods or routes for the 5th and 6th railway lines to minimise ecological damage.

“Mumbai’s fragile environment and its citizens’ health are at stake. It is imperative that development projects balance infrastructure needs with ecological preservation. The absence of a transparent public consultation process denies citizens their right to participate in decisions affecting their environment and health, as mandated under applicable laws,” said Godfrey Pimenta, trustee of Watchdog Foundation.

In another attempt to save these trees from being axed, green activists have started an online petition demanding the BMC and Central Railway to pause the felling of the trees until a transparent public consultation process is conducted. The petition started on jhatkaa.org, has been signed by more than 500 people.

“The BMC and Central Railway are going ahead without transparency, which could prove to be disastrous not just for Mumbai’s environment but the health of its residents. Chopping age-old trees will exacerbate Mumbai’s air pollution crisis. The 78 trees must be saved and alternatives for construction must be considered,” read the petition.