The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has come under scrutiny for its management of tree-felling permissions, raising concerns among environmentalists and citizens alike.
According to minutes obtained from a meeting held by NMC’s Garden and Tree Authority Department on February 20, 2024, it has been disclosed that the corporation amassed a significant sum of Rs. 42,77,400 over ten months, from April 2023 to January 2024, through the granting of tree felling permissions. Further scrutiny revealed that out of the total revenue collected, Rs. 38,84,000 constitutes a security deposit, to be refunded to applicants upon completion of their projects after three years. The remaining Rs. 3,93,400 was classified as administrative fees retained by NMC.
Of the 38 proposals discussed during the meeting, none were deferred, signalling a swift decision-making process. Among these proposals, eight cases were related to the felling of trees, while the remaining 30 involved pruning branches, particularly of heritage trees. Under the Tree Act of 2021, any tree above 50 years of age is deemed a heritage tree. The Act further directs that for felling a heritage tree, the number of trees is equivalent to the age of the felled heritage tree that should be planted. In tandem with this regulation, the tree authority directed appellants in six cases to plant 4012 trees, on designated government lands.
However, it is worth noting that in two cases, no compensatory afforestation or security deposit was demanded. These exceptions included cases where NMC itself undertook tree clearance for a road project and a political leader requested the felling of a heritage Tamarind tree in Bharat Nagar, citing its dangerously hollow state.
Additionally, Section 5(C) of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees (Amendment) Act, 2021, mandates the use of advanced technology, such as geo-tagging, to monitor replanted trees. However, the minutes of the meeting did not mention the use of such technology for monitoring the replanted trees.
Critics, particularly green activists from the city, have condemned NMC's tree authority for its handling of tree felling permissions. Anusuya Kale Chhabrani, a prominent environmentalist, highlighted the absence of tree experts in the authority, suggesting that decisions may lack a thorough scientific analysis of the ecological impact. Chhabrani also states that the authority has not yet revealed the condition of the replanted trees.