Thane: As many as 1,329 cases of permanent loss and damage to trees were reported in Thane in 2024—the highest in the past five years—prompting green activists to raise questions over the efforts taken by the local municipal administration regarding the conservation of the natural oxygen generators.
According to data compiled by the regional disaster management cell, last year, Thane witnessed 676 trees getting uprooted, mainly during heavy rain or wind, while another 168 suffered permanent damage, and there were 485 branch fall incidents. In other words, an average of seven trees either suffered permanent damage or were killed in the city every two days, while the ratio was around five in 2020.
Green activists primarily blamed the apathy of the Thane municipality and questioned why it failed to learn from its past mistakes.
When contacted, Madhukar Bodke, deputy municipal commissioner, garden department, though, said directions have been given to remove the cement concrete layer around trees and the process for a more scientific pre-monsoon trimming will be streamlined soon. “We had issued orders to free up nearly 9,000 trees in last two months itself, and work is on in full swing,” he said.
Experts said the loss of green cover would be higher if official approvals for tree cutting and relocation for infrastructure works and real estate development were also accounted for.
“One of the reasons is the planting of exotic trees that fail to withstand the local topographic and weather conditions and topple. The second important reason is the rampant concretisation of roads and within society premises, leaving the tree trunks choked, depriving them of soil and water percolation, leading to many gigantic trees starting to tilt and eventually collapse, said Dr Prasad Karnik, environmentalist.
Green activist Rohit Joshi blames unscientific process followed by TMC among the other reasons for the loss of trees. “It lacks expertise and gadgets to properly trim trees. Cranes used for the purpose do not even reach the tall trees, and the staff often trims the accessible part of the canopy, leaving trees in an imbalanced condition and prone to losing balance and falling. We shudder to think if these trees would be able to withstand any cyclone.”
