Mumbai's barren hillocks set to get green cover

If all goes according to the plan, the barren patches of our city’s hillocks may just be covered in greenery within the next few years.

Responding to citizens’ complaints of the poor survival rate of trees planted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) along roads, the civic body has now come up with a unique idea, in which they will plant trees on hillocks.

As part of the same, the civic body has identified 11 hills located in parts of the island city as well as its eastern and western suburbs. The corporation aims to plant around 30,000 trees, which will cover an area of 26.41 hectares.

“The past experience is that whenever we planted trees along roads or any other plain stretches of the city, the same could not survive for some reason or the other. So we have decided to plant trees on hills now. The trees will be safer on hills as they will be less exposed to the public or to animals,” said joint municipal commissioner SS Shinde, who came up with the idea.

The corporation has also sought tenders from interested parties for the planting and maintenance of these trees. The agency that wins the bid will have to ensure the safety of the trees for the next three years. The proposal is likely to be placed for discussion before members of tree authority in a month’s time.

“The bidding agencies will have to maintain the trees for three years, when they are young. After three years, the trees will be able to survive on their own,” Shinde added.