Thane, Apr 12 (PTI) Hundreds of activists and common citizens gathered in Maharashtra’s Thane city on Saturday to protest felling of trees, and accused the local civic body of allowing “unchecked deforestation”.

The protest held at the Manpada Junction in the city was organised by several environmental groups, including Muse Foundation, Fridays for Future, and Friends of Nature, the protest aligned with the Global Climate Strike, a release said.

Citizens carrying placards, banners and saplings voiced their anger at what they described as the Thane Municipal Corporation’s persistent neglect of the city’s green cover. Protesters accused the civic body of permitting unchecked deforestation in the name of development and ignoring the environmental consequences of such actions.

They demanded that the Tree Authority Committee of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) publicly disclose data regarding its members, experts and ward-wise officers. They urged publication of all permissions granted for tree trimming, cutting and transplantation, including that on timelines, budgets and compensatory planting plans.

Accusing the corporation of acting more as a sanctioning authority for tree cutting than a guardian of urban greenery, the protesters called for steps such as de-concretisation of tree basins, cataloguing and protection of heritage trees.

“This is not just about trees, it’s about the soul of our city. We will not stop until the TMC upholds its duty to protect our environment,” a protester said. PTI COR NP