High Court Orders Activists to Share Tree Survey Findings Disputing BMC Claims
The Bombay High Court has directed petitioners and an intervenor to submit their tree survey findings to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after a joint inspection disputed the civic body's claims of near-complete tree de-concretisation. During a hearing on Tuesday, Justices Ajey Gadkari and Kamal Khata ordered the sharing of data collected from inspections across Mumbai and Thane, specifically covering localities such as Malad, Fort, Santacruz, and Dahisar, where hundreds of trees were allegedly found still encased in concrete and debris.
The directive came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by activist Rohit Joshi. Joshi's petition seeks the urgent de-concretisation of areas surrounding tree bases in Mumbai and Thane to prevent dangerous tree-fall incidents. The PIL also seeks directions for civic authorities to establish a disaster management plan, alongside compensation and compassionate employment for the families of victims affected by falling trees.
During the Tuesday hearing, social activist Sagar Ugale filed an intervention application challenging the BMC's official affidavit. The civic body had previously claimed that only about 5 per cent of the tree de-concretisation work remained pending across the city.
Ugale's advocate presented findings from a joint inspection conducted on June 25 alongside officials from the BMC's Garden Department. The inspection covered 832 trees across more than 35 roads in seven civic wards, including Malad, Fort, Santacruz, and Dahisar.
The survey revealed that 321 trees had inadequate open soil space or improperly constructed tree basins, while 471 trees required further scientific de-concretisation. The intervenor contended that these findings directly contradict the BMC's claims of near-complete compliance, alleging that many trees still lack sufficient open soil for water percolation and root aeration, which compromises their stability.
The intervention application further alleged that if the de-concretisation work has only been completed on paper, accountability must be fixed.
Following these submissions, the High Court directed the petitioners and the intervenor to share their findings and suggestions with the BMC. The court also instructed the intervenor to file a detailed note explaining the methodology of the survey, supported by tree-wise data, photographs, and geo-tagged records. The court has adjourned the matter for four weeks.
