BMC Tree Authority Faces Scrutiny Over Expert Vacancies As Projects Affect More Than 7,633 Trees
Mumbai: The BMC is struggling to appoint expert members to its Tree Authority. After four years of administrative rule, the Tree Authority members (corporators) were appointed earlier this year post-BMC elections; however, the appointment of expert individual panel members was pending. Accordingly, an expression of interest (EOI) was floated to appoint 'nominated members', for which the deadline…
Mumbai's Tree Authority is facing scrutiny over the delayed appointment of expert members, with the deadline for expressions of interest now extended to November 11. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had appointed its Tree Authority members in recent elections, but the selection of expert individuals was still pending. The appointment process has been met with political disagreement, with Shiv Sena UBT corporator Pramod Sawant alleging that the extension was due to a request from the BJP group leader.
The BJP's Ganesh Khankar denied this, stating that the extension was requested to allow for scrutiny and address technical doubts. The Mumbai Tree Authority, led by the BMC commissioner, has 19 elected corporator members and five private expert members, responsible for approving tree cutting, removal, and transplantation proposals across the city.
The eligibility criteria for expert members include a diploma in various fields of tree-related studies, a graduation equivalent, or postgraduate qualifications, with preference given to those with 10 years of experience in tree planting, preservation, and protection. The BMC has approved over 7,633 tree-related proposals in the last five months, with 3,500 for permanent felling and the rest for transplantation.
Critics argue that individual members often lack political backing, leading to disinterest and poor preservation of Mumbai's green cover.
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