The Panvel City Municipal Corporation’s Tree Authority has deferred a decision on the fate of 925 trees linked to a stormwater drain and solid waste management expansion, while raising pruning charges and approving graded fines for damage to trees.
The authority has kept on hold proposals concerning 224 trees that may be transplanted or removed for a stormwater drain project. A separate proposal involving 701 trees has also been deferred in connection with the expansion of solid waste management facilities. Both decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by municipal commissioner Mangesh Chitale.
The 701-tree proposal is connected to the proposed expansion of the existing dumping ground at Chal village in Taloja MIDC. The expansion, along with the development of related facilities, has been proposed by the City and Industrial Development Corporation, or Cidco. The civic authority has not yet announced the final decision on whether the affected trees will be transplanted or cut.
The Tree Authority has also revised charges for tree pruning. Citizens who choose to carry out pruning themselves will be charged Rs 250 per tree. If the pruning is undertaken by PCMC, the charge will be Rs 1,200 per tree. The authority said the revised rates were intended to clarify the options available to residents and streamline the pruning process.
Under the approved penalty structure, a person causing harm to a tree will face a fine of Rs 1,000 for a first offence, Rs 3,000 for a second offence and Rs 5,000 for a third offence. The listed violations include driving nails into trees, tying advertisements to them and installing decorative electric lights.
The decisions place routine tree maintenance alongside larger infrastructure proposals before the municipal Tree Authority. In Panvel’s rapidly expanding urban areas, trees can be affected by drainage works, waste facilities and other civic projects, making the authority’s pending decision significant for both project execution and tree protection.
The report does not specify a date for the next meeting or disclose the technical basis on which transplantation or removal of the 925 trees will be assessed. The next formal decision by the Tree Authority will determine whether the proposals proceed, are modified or require further review.
