Metro III: Citizen tags South Mumbai trees with ribbons to save them

Since the Supreme Court vacated the stay on felling trees for the Mumbai Metro III project, the city has lost hundreds of trees and is set to lose a total of 1,074 as per Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) and 5,000 as per citizens groups.

Worried by illegal and indiscriminate felling of trees, regarding which city resident Kunal Birwadkar had also filed an application before Bombay High Court, and lack of due process being followed such as absence of tree officers to supervise the task by contractors, 66-year-old Lolita Shivdasani, resident of Lotus Court building in Churchgate decided to colour code trees with ribbons so that MMRCL can neither make errors nor excuses.

“All trees in Cuffe Parade and several other places have already gone. So we’ve made a noise about every tree on Jamshedji Tata road; every person knows which trees have been axed. Not everyone has the list of ones to be cut, transplanted and retained. Therefore, to make them clearly visible and distinguishable, I decided to tie ribbons around the trees. A red ribbon indicate that the tree is not to be touched and a green ribbon indicates that the tree is to be transplanted. We also want the men who come with their saws to know we’ve taken cognizance of the numbers and identified the trees to deter them from reckless hacking.”

DNA has the copy of the letter by the Superintendent of Gardens and Tree Officer, dated January 5, 2017, which says that the citizen’s request to transplant trees in A ward has been considered, and instead of felling 98 trees as per the original plan, 51 trees are to lopped, 47 transplanted and 70 retained.

Shivdasani began tying the ribbons last morning and has covered close to 40 per cent of 98 trees that are going to be affected. Though the exercise is more to facilitate citizens who wish to be vigilant and stop MMRCL from flouting norms, she has also informed them of the same.

She along with other residents in the vicinity -- Nina Verma (she became petitioner from Jamshedji Tata Road), Shefali Kapadia (she surveyed the trees and their biodiversity value) and Ruchir Bansal (environmentalist) -- got involved in the Metro III issue about two and half years ago when their buildings had been sent notices about the metro plan.

"Since then, we have been trying to see how authorities could rationalise it. Zoru Bhatena, whose area is not even affected came forward to help us on the legal front," says the homemaker, who also design clothes.

The Save Trees citizens group they had formed for Jamshedji Tata road gradually expanded to include South Mumbaikars and now also has members from the suburbs. "We had to do it because you see this road only has four or five residential buildings, the rest are office buildings and organisations won't protest wrong doings as it would be 'anti-establishment'," she adds.

Last evening MMRCL authorities, she says, have promised not to cut anymore trees on Jamshedji Tata Road for now and may only trim a tree or two for drilling. "They have also said that they will see if other trees too can be transplanted. We've managed to do so much, now let us see what happens in the second phase".

Although Shivdasani is only tying ribbons in Churchgate area, she's willing to give a helping hand to anyone who asks.