Trees gasp for air as concrete chokes roots in Andheri

Trunks of 12 trees covered in concrete at Metropolitan Court Lan. Pics/Ashish Raje

Activists have raised concerns over the concreting of the road to the trunk of the trees on Andheri's Metropolitan Court Road. An official from the BMC's Garden Department stated that an inquiry will be conducted into the issue.

When mid-day visited the spot, it found that the trunks of 12 fully grown roadside trees were completely covered by concrete. A Civic Garden Department official confirmed receiving complaints about the matter.

"Our team from the K-East ward administration visited the location. The concreting around these trees was not done by the BMC contractor," the official stated. "The strip of land along the road was recently handed over to the BMC by a private landowner. We are investigating whether the landowner carried out the concreting. Appropriate action will be taken accordingly."

Former corporator Nicholas Almeida, who raised the issue, said, "This is killing trees. A breathing space must be left around them, but here, concrete has been poured right up to the trunks." Almeida urged the BMC to take immediate action, warning that such practices could be fatal to the trees.

Civic activist and advocate Godfrey Pimenta also voiced his concerns. "The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has clear guidelines regarding breathing space around trees. Without this, trees may become weak and collapse during heavy rain or strong winds," he said. "We have written to Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani about this violation. The BMC must take strict action against those responsible."

Following the NGT's directives, the BMC issued guidelines in 2018 mandating a minimum breathing space of one square metre around each tree to prevent suffocation and promote proper growth. Before launching its mega road concreting project in 2023, the civic body had decided to keep three square metres of breathing space around trees free from debris. Recently, the BMC filed a police complaint against a road contractor in Worli for removing a tree without permission, under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975. On February 15, mid-day had reported that a fully grown tree had collapsed onto a building in Matunga after its roots were damaged during road concreting work.

12
No. of trees choked with concrete