Mumbai: Amidst a few citizen groups’ opposition to the impact on nearly 45,000 mangroves due to the proposed Mumbai Coastal Road (North) project, BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said on Saturday that infrastructure projects of such scale are not decided by a single person.Speaking at the second edition of the International Arboriculture Conference held in Mumbai, Gagrani said multiple statutory processes and approvals are involved before projects are cleared.“Such projects do not happen on the decision of a single person. Several agencies and regulatory processes are involved right up to the courts,” he said, adding that permissions were obtained from the concerned authorities.Gagrani also said that the Bombay High Court closely monitored the project, particularly with regard to compensatory afforestation measures that the civic body is undertaking.The conference, organised by Nanaji Deshmukh Pratishthan along with the Amenity Tree Care Association, brought together arborists, tree-care professionals, researchers, educators and environmental enthusiasts from across the world to discuss the science and practice of arboriculture and its role in improving urban landscapes.Vaibhav Raje, director of the Amenity Tree Care Association, said that there is a great need for arborists to guide civic staff when it comes to the well-being and preservation of trees.Chairman of Nanaji Deshmukh Pratishthan, Sanjay Pandey, said that balancing urban growth with tree protection needs to be looked at with a closer lens for the larger public good.Mumbai’s Guardian minister, Ashish Shelar, said, “Through modern arboriculture, we will establish ‘tree clinics’, include funding and policy for trees within municipal areas, and celebrate ‘tree literature’ and ‘tree festivals’. The problem of pollution is felt in Mumbai, Delhi and many cities around the world. Everywhere, a conflict between nature and humans is ongoing. It gives me satisfaction to see that this International Arboriculture Conference is finding environment-based solutions to all these problems.“Architect Alan Abraham delivered the keynote address on “Urban Public Spaces, Green Infrastructure and Citizen Participation.” Abraham explained how architecture and ecological planning can work together seamlessly if one attempts to do so.
