The city’s challenge to strike a balance between development and environment goes on with an environmental row erupting in Kharghar’s Sector 34B. The Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) has granted permission to a prominent educational trust to axe 24 mature trees, our report stated.
Now, irked locals are stating that the plot was originally designated for a public park but has been quietly leased out by CIDCO for institutional use. The PMC Tree Authority maintains that they have permission.
Chopping is needed as the trees, according to the permission letter, were obstructing the development of the school’s playground.
The PMC has stated that the trust must plant 211 new saplings within 30 days of receiving the letter. There are certain terms and conditions in the permission, such as a security amount deposited with the security body. A progress report for the saplings and maintenance is also mandated.
Let us always seek to save trees and build ‘around’ the obstruction. While security deposits and progress reports are all very well, it saplings must be planted close to where tree cover is lost and not in some far-flung place that already has greenery. We also need a real meaning to this progress report. Is a civic inspection team ready to check all claims? Are the new saplings quite similar in species to the ones lost? Can we have similar trees like those that have been chopped down? How will we see the entire project to fruition? These answers are necessary, but replanting should be considered only if chopping cannot be avoided. Otherwise, tree sacrifice is vexatious, and the pretence of replanting as bad.