Mumbai: After eight years, a tree census will finally be conducted in Mumbai. The BMC has floated a tender for the work, which will also include the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) to detect tree roots. The project also includes assessment parks and playgrounds in Mumbai.
The last tree census was carried out in 2018, which stated that Mumbai had 29.75 lakh trees. It is expected that the project will begin in early 2026, and the estimated cost will be over Rs 5 crore.
Increase in Tree Count Expected
The FPJ had reported on January 31 that the BMC garden department is positive that the total count of trees in Mumbai has increased from 34 lakh, considering around 5 lakh Miyawaki saplings planted in the last couple of years and their encouraging survival rate.
Scientific Study of Tree Roots
A senior officer from the garden department said, “The total project cost will depend on the quotations sent by the contractor, which is calculated per tree. The GPR is more of a scientific study where 3D images of the tree root system are studied, revealing the tree’s health. Due to extensive concretisation work across Mumbai and non-following of garden department rules by the contractor, several tree root systems have been damaged, resulting in a higher number of tree collapses during monsoon.”
Backlash Over Delay and Transparency
The BMC has been facing severe backlash for not only the delay in carrying tree census but not releasing the 2018 tree census data in the public domain. In the last seven years, massive infrastructure projects have been undertaken in Mumbai for which several tree-cutting permissions have been granted. However, the BMC claims that as per the new rule, three trees are planted against one.
2018 Census Data
As per the 2018 census, Mumbai had 29,75,283 trees, excluding the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Ghatkopar had the highest number of trees at 2.92 lakh, followed by Malad with 2.84 lakh, Bhandup with 2.54 lakh, Chembur with 2.13 lakh, Goregaon with 1.86 lakh, and Govandi-Mankhurd with 1.62 lakh trees. The areas that had the least number of trees are Marine lines-Zaveri Bazaar area with 5,756, and Masjid-Dongri area with 7,816 trees.
Diverse Tree Population and Parks
Mumbai has a mixture of exotic trees and native trees. The native trees are Taman, Tamarind, Ashoka, Neem, Aegle, Peepal, Cashew, Mesua ferrea, Currant, etc. Mumbai also had a higher number of gulmohar and rainforest trees.
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Currently, Mumbai has around 235 parks and 480 recreation grounds. The upcoming green area assessment and tree census will provide much-needed clarity about the state of the city’s environment and guide efforts to preserve and expand green spaces.
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