Mumbai’s Tree Authority is preparing to examine proposals affecting more than 3,100 trees across several high-profile infrastructure and redevelopment projects, placing the city’s environmental governance under renewed scrutiny as development ambitions increasingly intersect with the protection of urban green cover. The decisions, expected at the authority’s latest meeting, will influence projects ranging from Dharavi’s redevelopment to transport infrastructure and institutional housing, while testing how effectively ecological safeguards are integrated into urban expansion. Collectively, the applications seek approval to remove or relocate 3,169 trees, comprising requests to fell 1,777 trees and transplant another 1,392. The projects span multiple parts of Mumbai, including Dharavi, Marine Drive, Powai and Ghatkopar, reflecting the growing pressure on limited urban green spaces as the city pursues large-scale redevelopment and mobility investments.
The most significant application relates to the Dharavi redevelopment programme, where construction of rehabilitation buildings is expected to affect a substantial portion of existing vegetation within one project parcel. According to documents placed before the authority, site inspections identified more than 2,000 trees, with permission sought to remove or relocate 1,693. The proposal includes felling 871 trees and transplanting 822, while preserving the remaining trees that lie outside the immediate construction footprint. Environmental assessment documents also indicate that several mature and heritage-category trees fall within the proposed development zone. To offset ecological losses, the project developer has proposed an extensive Tree Transplantation and compensatory plantation programme involving more than 22,900 indigenous saplings on land in neighbouring Palghar district, alongside a long-term maintenance commitment. Across the wider redevelopment scheme, authorities estimate that nearly 8,000 trees could ultimately be affected, with additional plantation planned within available open spaces.
Beyond Dharavi, the Tree Authority will assess proposals linked to the Orange Gate–Marine Drive underground tunnel, where revised engineering alignments seek permission to remove or relocate 66 trees. Most are proposed for transplantation rather than felling, reflecting attempts to reduce permanent ecological impacts while advancing strategic transport infrastructure connecting the Eastern Freeway with the Coastal Road corridor. Additional applications include residential development within the IIT Bombay campus, involving 160 affected trees, and a slum rehabilitation project in Ghatkopar, where revised layouts have reportedly reduced the number of trees requiring removal following municipal intervention. Urban planners note that such design revisions illustrate how project planning can minimise ecological losses when environmental considerations are incorporated at an early stage. The forthcoming decisions highlight the increasingly important role of Tree Transplantation and preservation policies in balancing urban growth with environmental resilience. While compensatory plantations remain a statutory requirement, ecologists continue to emphasise that mature trees provide ecosystem services that cannot be immediately replaced through new planting, including carbon storage, heat mitigation and biodiversity support.
As Mumbai expands housing and transport infrastructure, the effectiveness of the Tree Authority’s review process will remain central to ensuring that development proceeds with stronger ecological accountability, transparent decision-making and greater emphasis on protecting the city’s rapidly diminishing natural assets.
