Mumbai’s first desalination plant at Manori has reached a key regulatory stage, with 967 trees proposed to be affected across the 12-hectare first phase of the project, including 28 trees marked for felling and 939 proposed for transplantation.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials told Mid-Day that the tree proposal is moving through the civic administration and has reached the office of the BMC superintendent of gardens and tree officer for a hearing. The proposal will be examined before it is placed before the Tree Authority for a final decision.
According to officials, the current project requirements will affect 967 of the 971 trees present on the first-phase site. Four trees are proposed to be retained. Of the affected trees, 28, including large and old trees, will be cut, while 939, described as mostly younger palms and ferns, will be transplanted within the project land.
A civic official quoted by Mid-Day said the trees would be transplanted within the perimeter of the project site, avoiding a change in land and weather conditions and improving their chances of survival. The official also said compensatory tree plantation could be ordered by the Tree Authority.
The proposal will first be subject to suggestions, objections and recommendations during a hearing conducted by the superintendent of gardens and tree officer. It will then be sent to the municipal secretary before being placed before the Tree Authority. The panel is chaired by the civic chief and includes 25 members. It can approve or reject the proposal, or issue changes and instructions.
The project is located at Manori village in Borivli taluka. The larger site covers around 29 hectares, with the first phase occupying 12 hectares. Construction began on December 15, 2025. The ongoing phase is planned to achieve an initial capacity of 200 million litres per day by December 2029, while the expansion to 400 million litres per day is scheduled for the latter half of 2030.
The project has received larger Coastal Regulation Zone and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change clearances, while tree-related permissions from the Tree Authority are still pending. The tree proposal is expected to be tabled at the authority’s December meeting, according to a civic official quoted in the report.
Environmental groups have raised concerns about the proposed felling and transplantation. Godfrey Pimenta, trustee of the Watchdog Foundation, said the need to provide additional water should not justify avoidable environmental destruction and called for alternatives in site selection and project design to be examined and made available for public scrutiny.
Stalin D, director of Vanashakti, questioned whether the transplantation commitments would be implemented effectively, citing the expense and difficulty of transplanting trees. He also expressed concern that the project could alter the character of the scenic public land at Manori.
The proposal’s next formal step is the hearing before the superintendent of gardens and tree officer, followed by scrutiny by the municipal secretary and the Tree Authority. Until those tree-related permissions are granted, the project remains subject to the civic approval process for the 967 affected trees.
