As many as 128 trees will be affected by the redevelopment of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station in Mumbai, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Tree Authority approving the felling of 56 trees and transplantation of 72 others.
As compensation for the 56 trees to be felled, the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA) has proposed planting 2,463 new trees within 15 days. The proposal was approved at the Tree Authority meeting held on Friday, November 13.
However, the decision drew objections from Opposition Leader Kishori Pednekar, who questioned the civic body’s record of compensatory tree plantation following earlier tree-felling and pruning exercises.
Former mayor Kishori Pednekar demanded that the BMC account for trees planted under previous compensatory plantation drives.
She questioned where the trees planted after earlier permissions for tree felling and pruning were located and whether the civic body had maintained proper records of their survival.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader further highlighted concerns over the monitoring of compensatory plantation commitments and the need for the BMC to ensure that newly planted trees are accounted for.
The proposal was submitted by the RLDA, which sought permission from the BMC’s Tree Authority for the removal and transplantation of trees to facilitate the CSMT redevelopment project.
BMC told to halt construction near defence establishments without mandatory NOCs
In an urgent directive dated November 4, 2026, the Maharashtra Government’s Urban Development Department (UDD) has asked the BMC to immediately halt construction near defence establishments where municipal permissions were granted without mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Local Military Authority (LMA). The move reiterates that national security takes precedence over development approvals.
While the need to protect strategic military installations is undisputed, real estate experts, architects and cooperative housing representatives warn that the directive could trigger a humanitarian and financial crisis. Thousands of families in ageing buildings, stalled redevelopment projects and displaced homebuyers could be caught in the crossfire of conflicting government policies.
Legal ambiguity and policy tug-of-war
The crackdown follows correspondence between the state’s UDD and the Union Ministry of Defence (MoD). In letters dated August 10 and October 27, 2026, the state sought clarity on conflicting policies.
The Maharashtra Advocate General had earlier opined that the MoD’s May 18, 2011 circular had been superseded by a December 23, 2022 circular, which was subsequently kept in abeyance on February 23, 2023. This created regulatory uncertainty, with planning authorities operating under DCPR-2034 concerned that insisting on Defence NOCs could invite litigation over the denial of development rights.
However, on November 4, 2026, the MoD clarified that the May 18, 2011, guidelines remain in force and are legally binding.
