Time to leave the city’s trees alone and let them thrive

Despite a Bombay High Court order prohibiting the use of trees for commercial or decorative purposes, blatant violations are occurring across the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) area.

From banners and lighting fixtures to nails and wires hammered into tree trunks, these acts are not only illegal but also destructive. On busy roads such as Phadke Road, hawkers are seen using roadside trees to hang clothes with ropes and nails. On Tilak Road, near Brahman Sabha, a local Chinese food stall has adorned trees with lighting, while nearby hardware shops have followed suit.

These activities violate the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act and, more critically, defy the high court ruling that bans any damage or modification to public trees. However, violations continue unchecked in the absence of routine monitoring or strict penalties.

An official from KDMC’s garden department admitted that while such activities are banned, enforcement is slow. He said, “Our trees, the very few that we have left in Mumbai, have become convenient platforms for billboards. Hammering nails, wires, and rods into tree trunks has become common. Lights on trees were widespread some time ago. Though mitigated to some extent, this has not been stamped out completely.”

Leaders tout environmental consciousness. They shout from the rooftops about lessening the carbon footprint and pose for pictures with solar panels installed on buildings. However, more needs to be done on the ground.

Punitive measures and increased awareness through social media campaigns will help address both the preventive and reactive aspects of this issue—and hopefully protect the trees that remain in the KDMC area.
https://www.mid-day.com/news/opinion/article/time-to-leave-the-citys-trees-alone-and-let-them-thrive-23595141