HC wants MCGM to show tree records in Mumbai

The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and its Tree Authority to state how many trees were cut and how many were planted last year.

The court also sought to know what the corporation is doing with the unutilised funds. The corporation also has to explain the procedures which are adopted while giving  permission to builders to cut trees for construction purpose, and how many vacancies are there in the Tree Authority department.

The division bench of chief justice Swatanter Kumar and DY Chandrachud was hearing a PIL filed by Awaaz Foundation, an NGO, which challenges the procedure followed permitting the cutting of trees in Mumbai. During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner J P Cama pointed out that out of the Rs 23 crore budget, the corporation has utilised over three crore and over Rs 19 crore are lying unutilised in the year 2008-09.

MCGM lawyer KK Singhvi denied the allegation that builders are given sanction to cut trees even before approval from Tree Authority.