Green activists, environmentalists, and concerned citizens have called for greater transparency in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) public notices regarding tree-felling. Activists have flagged repeated instances of inaccurate, incomplete, and at times invalid notifications of tree cutting, which obscure the actual scope of work being carried out.

This lack of clarity has made it difficult for citizens to understand what’s happening in their neighbourhood, effectively discouraging meaningful suggestions and objections to proposed tree removals. As per BMC’s mandate, cutting of trees can be done only after issuing public notices, taking inputs from citizens about cutting of these trees in the form of suggestions and objections, and holding a public hearing before the decision is taken to axe the trees. All of the above takes place within seven days of issuing the public notices.

Citizens have pointed out that the notices often fall short — they frequently lack essential details and feature outdated or non-functional web links, obstructing public engagement and oversight.