A professor along with students from the Botany Department of St Xavier's College have written to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) executing the underground Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro-3 corridor, with a request not to cut an ancient Peepal tree.
The tree, which is situated outside Cama Hospital in CST, is almost 100 years old and it is ecologically very essential for a better ecosystem.
Rajendra Shinde, Head of Department (HOD) Botany Department, St Xavier's College, in a mail written to MMRC, said, "The Peepal tree is one of the rare species of Ficus virens. There are very few of these remaining in the city. I suppose you will be soon cutting the same. Instead, you should seriously think of accommodating the same tree at the entrance of Metro exit which is coming up there, it will beautify the entrance."
Shinde, told DNA, "We, along with many students and ex-students from the Botany Department, have written to the MMRC requesting them to not chop the particular tree. We hope the MMRC takes our request positively. But we do want to make it clear that we are not against the Metro construction."
Meanwhile, MMRC officials have assured that they will try not to cut the tree despite having permission from the tree authority to chop it for the construction.
Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Chief Project Manager, MMRC, in an email to Kiran Thumma, ex-student of St Xavier's, said, "It is true that we have permission to cut the tree but we are trying to save the old Peepal tree. Let me assure you that we will cut the tree only under unavoidable circumstances. We will our best to save the tree as requested by you."
The MMRC is carrying out construction work for CST Metro station near the St Xavier's College. Several citizens had also approached the Bombay high court due to thousands of trees being cut for the construction of Metro-3, after which a stay was put, however, later it was revoked.
WHAT THE MAIL TO THE MMRC STATES
The peepal tree is one of the rare species of Ficus virens. There are very few of these remaining in the city. I suppose you will be soon cutting the same. Instead, you should seriously think of accommodating the same tree at the entrance of Metro exit which is coming up there, it will beautify the entrance.
