Dinesh Kamath's news 'Development works by NMMC are affecting environment, say Nerul residents' that was published in Newsband

Development works by NMMC are affecting environment, say Nerul residents

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: Nerul residents are infuriated by the fact that Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation is bringing down trees in order to carry out their development works. According to these residents, it is easy to hack down the trees but to replant them is extremely difficult. These residents are worried about environmental problems that can occur owing to hacking down of the trees in big number. Also the greenery of the place they are residing at is affected owing to irresponsible behavior of the civic body.

When the residents question the officials of the civic body and demand reason for hacking down the trees, these officials come up with flimsy reason. They say that those trees came in the way of development works like laying of footpath or installing of cable lines or storm water drains etc. These residents feel very bad about the fact that the regions where trees have been hacked appear barren and devoid of greenery.

At certain places where development works have been done, there are trees which are dying owing to lack of aeration and space for the roots to grow. The residents of this region strongly feel that the civic body should could conduct development works but not at the cost of trees around. According to them, the civic body should take care to see that all the trees at regions where they are doing their works are preserved.

When complaints relating to such irresponsible behavior of the staff of civic body is submitted at highest level, the residents just get the answer that the matter will be looked into but nothing practical is done in that direction.