Mumbai trees lose nourishment as cement covers roots

The roots of the trees have been hacked away and trees are left standing in shallow basins without adequate soil for the roots to grip or even obtain nourishment

While the National Green Tribunal in the year 2015 had directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to make sure that the concrete surrounding tree trunks in the city is removed, it seems that the BMC is not following the norms while carrying out development work. It has been found that the roots of the trees in Bhandup-Kanjurmarg East are being covered with concrete while drain channels are constructed. Environmentalist Stalin D from the NGO, Vanashakti, has written a letter to the Ward Officer of S ward and the Gardens Department of the BMC.

The copy of the letter states, "This is to highlight the destructive concretising of tree root zones by contractors constructing drain channels on road sides. The stretch in question is from Sanjay Apartments to Datar Colony in Bhandup-Kanjur East. The roots of the trees have been hacked away and trees are left standing in shallow basins without adequate soil for the roots to grip or even obtain nourishment." The environmentalist fears that the cemented section will get waterlogged and the miniscule amount of soil left behind will wash away, leading the trees to collapse in the coming monsoon.

"Almost all the trees in this 1.5 km stretch will fall during the monsoon if corrective action is not taken. No instructions have been given to the contractor and they have no clue about how to protect the trees. The sections that are being concretised earlier had paver blocks which allowed the percolation of water and also had soil beneath them. These sections, on both sides of the road, were always used to park vehicles and never used for motoring purposes."

The NGO has alleged that not only has public money been wasted, but a lot of trees are being killed in this process. "The rainwater, which flowed into the nearby marshes, will now overflow onto the roads and create more floods in the coming monsoon. This email primarily focuses on the issue of the threat to the trees which needs to be addressed on priority. If the tree collapses, it can kill people. The tree officer of the ward has also not bothered to come and see the state of trees," the letter further stated.

Speaking to mid-day, Stalin D said, "These acts are not only unscientific and dangerous but are also in violation of the orders of the Hon'ble National Green Tribunal which has directed that at least one metre of space must be left free of concrete at the root zone."

1.5 KM
The tree stretch at Bhandup-Kanjur that will be affected