MUMBAI: A group of citizens who came out on Sunday night to hold a candlight vigil against the tree felling at Breach Candy’s Tata Gardens were surprised to find BMC officials waiting for them at the green space.
Last week, the BMC resumed cutting of trees in the garden and on the footpath after the Bombay HC on June 30 vacated the interim stay restraining them (BMC) from cutting any more trees at the garden for the coastal road project.
Activist Zoru Bhathena who had organised the protest on ground and also via video conferencing said when they reached Tata Garden around 9.30 pm, officials from D ward as well as the Coastal Road were there too. “We had gathered to mourn the loss of green cover. This is despite an alternative of taking the adjacent site instead of the garden. However, little did we expect that BMC officials would be there to hear us out,” said Bhathena.
D ward assistant municipal commissioner Prashant Gaikwad said that the BMC chief had directed them to hear out the citizens’ concerns. “We tried explaining that the alternative suggested by them is not feasible. We have decided to arrange a meeting for them with the technical consultant soon,” he said.
