Mumbai, November 7: Questioning the need for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to axe 147 trees on LBS Marg between Vikhroli and Gandhinagar Junction, environmentalists at a public hearing on Monday outside MMRDA’s Kanjurmarg office sifted through the procedure followed so far.

They questioned the representatives of the planning body and Tree Authority, who had given a go-ahead for MMRDA’s road widening project here two months ago.

‘‘We asked them why the encroachments were not cleared at Bhandup because if they are not cleared first, cutting the trees would be a waste for road widening,’’ said Rishi Aggarwal of the Mumbai Environment Social Network. ‘‘Moreover, no residents present here saw any public notice put up by the Tree Authority regarding this issue.’’

‘‘The MMRDA has not conducted any traffic survey which justifies the plan to cut trees here,’’ said Debi Goenka of the Bombay Environmental Action Group.

However, A V Deshinkar, chief engineer, MMRDA, said the Development Plan under which the proposal was made took the traffic situation into account. “So there was no need to do fresh survey,’’ he said.

How environmentalists protested
On October 20, Rishi Aggarwal of Mumbai Enviroment Social Network filed a public interest litigation
The high court ordered a public hearing and no trees to be cut till the next hearing, on Novomber 16. But eight trees were axed in October
On October 28, founder of the Chipko Movement Sunderlal Bahuguna and his Vimla hugged trees at Kanjurmarg and Bhandup and tied red threads around them to assert their sanctity