Almond tree in Vashi illegally pruned again to clear view for advertisement

An almond tree located next to Ganesh Tower in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, has been illegally pruned once again to clear the view for an advertising hoarding installed behind it. Local tree lovers and activists discovered the recent mutilation, prompting a fresh complaint to the civic authorities on Tuesday.

Social activist Madhu Shankar filed the complaint with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) garden department. Shankar reported that unidentified individuals had ruthlessly chopped off the top portion of the almond tree. According to the activist, the pruning was done for the obvious purpose of increasing the visibility of the commercial hoarding.

The environmental damage to this specific tree is part of an ongoing pattern that began over a year ago. According to local residents, the almond tree was first illegally pruned in January 2023. Exactly one month later, in February 2023, the new advertising hoarding was set up directly behind it.

Since the installation of the billboard, the tree has faced repeated hacking. Whenever its leaves and branches grew large enough to block the advertisement, perpetrators would prune the tree back to keep the hoarding visible to passersby.

The recurring mutilation of the tree has previously sparked outrage among Vashi residents. In September last year, several nature lovers organized a public demonstration at the Vashi site to protest the frequent and systematic hacking of the tree.

In response to earlier incidents of illegal cutting, the NMMC civic body had registered a First Information Report (FIR) with the local police. Despite the legal action, the illegal pruning has continued, leading to the latest round of damage.

The Vashi ward office has confirmed that it is currently looking into the new complaint filed by Shankar on Tuesday to identify those responsible for the latest round of illegal pruning.