Navi Mumbai: The Tree Authority of the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has hiked the rates for tree cutting. A fee of Rs 250 per tree will be charged if citizens choose to carry out pruning themselves, and a fee of Rs 1,200 per tree if the pruning is performed by the PCMC. The authority also put on hold a decision on 224 trees to be transplanted or axed for a stormwater drain and 701 trees for expansion of the solid waste management.A meeting was chaired by the municipal commissioner Mangesh Chitale in the presence of its members. Cidco has proposed to expand the existing dumping ground located in Chal village, Taloja MIDC. Further, expansion of the existing solid waste management facility and development of various facilities require transplantation or chopping of 701 trees. Collectively, 925 trees are to be either transplanted or axed.On the decision to hike the tree pruning charges, the authority hopes that this will provide clarity to citizens about the options available for tree pruning and will help execute the pruning process in a more streamlined and well-planned manner. The authority has also approved imposing fines on anyone causing harm to trees (such as nailing, tying advertisements, installing electric decorative lights) among others. Accordingly, Rs 1,000 fine per tree will be imposed for the first offence, Rs 3,000 for the second and Rs 5,000 for the third.
