Corporator Demands Audit to Clear Telecom and TV Cables From Mumbai Trees
BJP corporator Adv. Siddharth Sharma has demanded immediate civic action to make trees across Mumbai "cable-free," calling out telecom and cable operators for using trees to support internet, optical fibre cable (OFC), broadband, and television networks.
Raising the issue through a point of objection at a Mumbai Tree Authority Committee meeting, Sharma stated that trees cannot be treated as private infrastructure by commercial operators. He has also submitted a formal representation to the Municipal Commissioner and Chairman of the Mumbai Tree Authority, seeking specific measures to halt the practice and protect the city's green cover.
Across multiple locations in Mumbai, cables are frequently wrapped tightly around tree trunks, suspended directly from branches, or affixed using nails, screws, and metal clamps. Sharma highlighted that these methods cause severe harm to the trees by damaging the bark, restricting natural growth, causing girdling, and weakening branch structures. The clutter of wires also creates hurdles for municipal staff during pruning and routine maintenance work.
To address the problem systematically, Sharma called for a comprehensive "Tree & Cable Audit" across the city. The proposed audit would document all cables attached to trees and identify the specific operators responsible. It would also verify whether the operators hold required permissions from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), including Right of Way (RoW) sanctions and No Objection Certificates (NOCs).
Under the proposal, any unauthorised or hazardous cables must be removed or safely relocated, accompanied by strict penalties against repeat offenders. Sharma has requested that relevant municipal departments submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 30 days or prior to the next Mumbai Tree Authority meeting, whichever comes first.
The requested ATR should detail the total number of trees surveyed, how many were found carrying cables, the volume of cables cleared or shifted, and the specific enforcement steps initiated against non-compliant operators. Drawing a comparison to the BMC's 'Vruksha Sanjeevani Abhiyan', Sharma noted that permitting commercial networks to use trees as utility poles directly undermines municipal tree conservation initiatives.
