MMRDA asks FDCM to identify land for afforestation drive in order to get development projects clearance

Mumbai: The Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) has been asked to identify a suitable parcel of degraded forest land in the state for large-scale afforestation works by the Mumbai Metropolitan Development Authority (MMRDA). The afforestation work has to be undertaken in anticipation of development projects in and around Mumbai metropolitan region over the next three to four years.

Officials privy to the development said that the aim is to pre-emptively plant more number of trees than those proposed for cutting by the MMRDA in the near future. It will allow stakeholders like forest department, urban local bodies and Maharashtra State Tree Authority (MSTA) to speed up clearances, reported Hindustan Times.

In the coming years, the MMRDA will be pursuing several transport and infrastructure projects such as Wadala-CSTM underground metro corridor, Nariman Point Cuffe Parade connector, Gorai creek bridge, metro lines 10, 11, 12, and so on. The estimated figure is not in yet but trees will be affected with any development project. The authority wants to carry out compensatory afforestation in advance, as it would help to speed up clearances for these projects as well as the environment, said an official with MMRDA’s horticulture department.

In 2019, a plantation drive was carried out on over 46 hectares of degraded forest land in Titwala and Shilphata by the MMRDA and FDCM in a similar approach, over 51,000 native saplings were planted. Three key projects of the MMRDA were cleared by the MSTA earlier this month, based on this effort. The projects include construction of Metro line 2 from Kalanagar to Bandra-Kurla Complex which would lead to the cutting of 344 trees, Worli-Sewri connector that would lead to cutting down of 305 trees and construction of Metro viaduct from DN Nagar to Nanavati Hospital in which 233 trees would be cut.

Range forest officer with FDCM, Sadashiv Rote said that doing such a large-scale plantation drive pre-emptively has benefited the MMRDA. In Titwala and Shilphata, the success rate of the saplings is above 80 percent, the MMRDA approached the FDCM as they are not foresters. In order to carry out a similar exercise the FDCM has asked its officials to keep a lookout for other land where they can conduct the exercise when future projects need clearance.They can be processed without any difficulties. The FDCM has not started to look for places yet as finding the correct place will take time.

However, environmentalists do not appreciate this approach. According to them it sets a poor regulatory precedent and suggests that clearance for each project shall be granted on case-by-case basis. Stalin D, director of environment NGO, Vanashakti said that in order to save trees from being cut down the State Tree Authority was formed, but because a single plantation drive was done two years ago it is clearing new projects with asking any further questions to the MMRDA. In the Tree Act there is no such provision for any such bulk deal.