The Bombay High Court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Thane Municipal Corporation to meet petitioners and experts after concerns that cement and concretisation around trees may be contributing to tree collapses and shortening their lifespan. The court has asked the parties to discuss the problem and work towards a solution after Ganeshotsav, when civic officials are expected to be less occupied with festival-related duties.
A division bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Kamal Khata issued the direction during a hearing on Wednesday. The proceedings followed petitions filed by Thane-based environmentalist Rohit Joshi through advocate Ronita Bhattacharya and Mumbai-based advocate Sagar Ugale.
The petitioners told the court that trees need a defined open area around their bases to allow their roots to grow properly underground. They argued that the lack of adequate space around trees, combined with cement and other forms of concretisation, can weaken trees, reduce their lifespan and increase the risk of collapse.
The issue places tree protection against the physical constraints of Mumbai’s built environment. The Mumbai civic body told the court that several parts of the city have narrow and constricted roads, making it impractical to leave the same amount of open space around every tree. The submission highlighted the challenge of balancing pedestrian and road space with the soil and root area required for trees to remain healthy.
The petitioners also informed the court that experts had been consulted on possible solutions. The Mumbai and Thane civic bodies told the court that they were positive about recommendations previously proposed by the petitioners and were prepared to implement them, according to the report of the hearing.
The court has now directed officials from both municipal corporations to hold a joint meeting with the petitioners and the expert committee. The meeting is expected to examine the recommendations and discuss measures to address the risks associated with concretisation around trees. The matter has been listed for hearing again after four weeks, following the direction that the meeting be held after Ganeshotsav.
