At a time when Mumbai is reeling under multiple heatwave alerts amid the El Niño climatic phase, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed cutting down and transplanting of 162 trees, to make way for a vehicular arm of the Vidyavihar east-west. The civic officials said that in return the BMC will carry out compensatory afforestation at Panvel in the Raigad district of Maharashtra.The Vidyavihar east-west link is one of the long pending infrastructure projects in Mumbai. The project was first envisioned 35 years ago and has been under construction for nearly a decade.The 650-metre-long flyover will connect Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Marg in the east with Ramkrishna Chemburkar Marg in the west by passing above the railway tracks. The proposal for the flyover was first included in the BMC’s Development Plan (DP) regulations in 1991. Tenders for the project were floated in 2016 and construction work began thereafter. However, the project ran into several hurdles, resulting in repeated delays over the years.Currently, Vidyavihar does not have direct east-west road connectivity. Motorists are forced to cross railway tracks using road overbridges at Ghatkopar or Kurla, a commute that takes at least 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic conditions. Once operational, the new flyover is expected to reduce travel time to less than 10 minutes.The project will comprise a 100 meter steel girder, on which the vehicular arms will be erected. Civic officials said that the alignment of this arm requires cutting down of the trees and according to the civic body’s proposal a total of 213 are falling in the way of the project of which, 77 of them will be entirely felled, while 85 of them will be transplanted, while 51 trees at the spot will be retained in their position.Meanwhile, to make way for the lost green cover, the BMC has also proposed compensatory plantation of 2,278 trees. The civic authorities have earmarked a 2.05 hectares plot in Panvel for the said purpose. Earlier this month, the civic administration submitted a proposal to the civic body’s standing committee to appoint the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) for executing the compensatory afforestation work. The civic authorities said that the overall drive of environment mitigation, which included transplantation of affected trees and maintaining them for a seven year period is set to cost Rs 1.99 crore to the BMC including land acquisition at Panvel.“The reason why compensatory plantation is being done at Panvel is because it is nearly impossible to get such a large parcel of land within Mumbai to carry out compensatory afforestation,” a civic official said.Story continues below this adMeanwhile, environmentalists have raised concerns about cutting down so many trees at a time when Mumbai is reeling under a heatwave-like situation, while the El Niño phase is underway. El Niño is a climatic pattern that weakens the southwest monsoon winds and leads to below average monsoon in India resulting in extended summers.“On one hand the BMC is damaging the base of existing trees by concreting the roads which prevents percolation of ground water and withers the root of the tree. On the other hand a large number of trees are also being cut to make way for infrastructure projects. This is damaging the ecosystem substantially as we can see how the land and surface temperature are rising over the decades pushing Mumbai to reel under a heatwave-like situation,” Stalin Dayanand environmentalist and director of NGO Vanashakti said.The flyover is being constructed at a cost of Rs 178 crore is set to become operational by August, 2026.Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India. Expertise & Authority Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai. Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in: Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting. City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region. Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis: National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019. State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019. Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis. Experience Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies: Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014). Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express. Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres. ... 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