The Tree Authority has given its approval to remove more than 1,000 trees from Sewri for the Sewri-Nhava Sheva project, also known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, connecting Mumbai to Navi Mumbai. The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) had sought permission to cut 454 trees and transplant 550.

There are other projects like the Hancock Bridge and two flyovers at Mahalaxmi that will need trees to be removed. Inevitable as one may say, but one’s heart bleeds to see that Mumbai is set to lose the little green that it has, to infra projects. It is a very hard decision to make and a huge sacrifice but the hard-nosed will say that it has to be done to enable expansion of commuting networks and accommodate a burgeoning population.