Navi Mumbai: Around 250 trees of the 450 trees originally affected by the proposed Sanpada underpass along Palm Beach Road have been spared the axe after IIT-Bombay recommended a tweak in its design, said Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) commissioner Kailas Shinde.The underpass, whose height has now been proposed to be lowered, will cater to light vehicles and eliminate the need to raise Palm Beach Road.IIT-Bombay had suggested that the project’s traffic objectives could be achieved through a revised roundabout and access arrangement that reduced the footprint within the green belt and limited disruption to mature trees.The plan for the large-scale tree felling had drawn widespread criticism over months. Residents and environmental groups said mature trees provided a buffer against dust, vehicular emissions and rising temperatures, while transplantation did not guarantee survival. Following public protest, NMMC decided to go back to the drawing board.Shinde told TOI that now, 200 trees on the road’s eastern, creekside stretch will be felled for the project. He said every attempt was made to minimise the number of trees to be cut, which resulted in delaying the project.NMMC has begun cutting the creekside trees. City engineer Shirish Aradwad said work on the underpass will begin soon.NGO NatConnect Foundation and citizens’ group Palm Beach Greens, which had earlier organised two human chain protests against the proposed tree loss, welcomed the realignment but urged NMMC to explore options to save the remaining trees. There was talk of a flyover across Palm Beach Road, which did not materialise, said an official.Activists also welcomed assurances that most trees along the jogging path on the residential side would be spared. “We are not against development that eases traffic problems. We welcome the underpass, which will provide an essential third exit for rapidly growing Sanpada. But infrastructure must be planned to minimise environmental damage,” said B N Kumar of NatConnect. Palm Beach Greens convener Shrikant Patki said saving over 55% of the trees was better than losing all 450.The underpass is intended to ease congestion and provide rapidly growing Sanpada with a third exit route to Palm Beach Road, besides the railway station underpass and Moraj junction.
