Mumbai-Trans Harbour Link: 60% of trees to be transplanted

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said on Monday that it will undertake transplantation of around 60% of the total 1,172 trees which will be affected in Sewri for the construction of the Mumbai-Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project. A public hearing on this issue is going to be undertaken by the BMC on August 22. The MTHL will connect south Mumbai to Navi Mumbai. MMRDA's additional metropolitan commissioner Sanjay Khandare said, "The trees which are going to be affected due to the project have been identified after meticulous vetting. Not all trees will be cut as we propose to transplant around 60% of them." Mumbai Port Trust, which has vast pockets of land on the eastern seafront, will provide locations for transplantation of these trees.Environmentalists have been objecting to trees being cut around the city for various infrastructure projects. They have also pointed at the poor survival rate of transplanted trees."We will tie-up with organisations having expertise in the field of transplantation to ensure higher survival rates," said Khandare. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the civic tree authority will hold its first meeting to clear proposals regarding cutting of 2,707 trees inside Aarey Colony for the Metro-3 carshed. A BMC official said, "We conducted a public hearing on cutting trees in Aarey and received around 82,000 objections. The proposal has now been put before the tree authority for a final decision."The MMRDA also wants to cut 397 trees to construct an elevated road from Santacruz to Bandra-Kurla Complex.