Mumbai’s Environmental Status Report (ESR) for 2024–25 has triggered a storm of criticism, with environmental experts questioning the credibility of the civic body’s claim that over 20,000 new trees were planted last year. Despite the assertions, the official count of 29.75 lakh trees has remained unchanged for the past four years across every ward, fuelling allegations of data recycling and deliberate concealment of tree loss.
Activists argue that the discrepancy reflects a deeper malaise in urban green governance. According to them, repeated references to large-scale plantation drives are little more than a façade masking the absence of a transparent tree census. They maintain that trees cut for infrastructure projects rarely find accurate mention in official reports and that survival rates of saplings are never disclosed. One expert remarked that the city had “exhausted viable spaces for new plantations,” yet annual claims continue to be made without any supporting evidence. Concerns are particularly acute in areas such as South Mumbai, where activists allege that hundreds of mature trees have been removed over the years without proper disclosure. They warn that mere enumeration of “planted” trees fails to account for the ecological gap left behind by the felling of decades-old species. Several local groups have demanded an independent and publicly verifiable census distinguishing between live trees and stumps, claiming the current practice amounts to greenwashing.
On the ground, residents also contest official narratives. Community members in Kandivali point out that saplings planted in their locality were largely the result of citizen-led efforts, later tagged by authorities as part of their own drive. Concerns have also been raised about large infrastructure projects, such as the Versova–Dahisar Link Road, where the civic estimate of 190 trees to be removed is contradicted by locals who warn that more than 1,000 trees are at risk beyond the mangrove buffer. Civic officials acknowledge that “very little space remains for fresh plantations,” but stress that other initiatives are being undertaken to preserve the city’s existing green cover. According to the ESR, over 1.4 lakh trees underwent pruning in the past year to maintain balance and encourage healthy growth, while around 1,767 trees were relieved of concrete surroundings to improve root aeration. Additionally, 798 hazardous or dead trees were removed to protect public safety.
Experts caution that while such maintenance efforts are valuable, they do not substitute for authentic growth in tree cover. In a city grappling with rising heat, worsening air pollution, and declining biodiversity, the absence of honest reporting on tree plantations undermines both public trust and environmental resilience. Many argue that Mumbai urgently needs an independent audit mechanism for urban forestry, aligned with its broader sustainability goals of creating a net-zero, climate-resilient metropolis. The controversy underscores a fundamental question: can Mumbai claim to be greening itself if the numbers remain frozen? Unless transparent, verifiable, and scientifically audited data is made public, scepticism over civic plantation claims is likely to persist.
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