Plant more trees, but protect the ones already planted

A Miyawaki forest at Bhakti Park in Wadala

The civic body has decided to plant 10,000 native trees for a greener and cleaner city, but the focus would the suburbs. Close to 90 places will be finalised for the project that is estimated to cost around Rs 12 crore, officials said this week.

With the city experiencing extremely poor air quality last year, the BMC decided to create new green lungs. Officials stated that indigenous trees will attract birds, too, an ecosystem that benefits all creatures.

We surely need more trees in the city, wherever they may be planted. Mumbai's air quality is deteriorating and more trees are one way to combat that to some extent. Then, of course, the immense benefits that more greenery brings, whether it is one tree or 10.

Also Read: Mumbai: 4,622 societies, govt & private premises told to trim trees by May end

There has been so much awareness about combating climate change that many citizens, too, are extremely invested in the effort and the cause. This should be music to the city's ears. However, these plans must move from paper to ground reality. They sound uplifting but let us see real action so that the trust deficit between authorities and citizens, too, closes to some extent.

Mumbai is witnessing so much ongoing construction work from the Metro to the Coastal Road, being the most prominent. We need a natural combat force against what many cite as a necessary upgrade, and trees are surely our armour against all the ramifications this building activity brings.

Having praised these plans, it is also imperative that the civic body safeguards existing trees. It is ridiculous that these are hacked and then, new trees are planted. Gardens must be maintained. Currently, the BMC has proposed an underground parking below the existing Patwardhan Park in Bandra (W). This defies logic, uprooting an existing garden and then, planning to plant more trees. Applause for new trees to be planted but every effort to save, nurture and maintain old greenery.