BMC to develop urban forest in Marol industrial area to reduce heat-island effect in the region

In order to bring the Land Surface Temperature (LST) down and ensure more greenery in the city, BMC recently proposed to develop the 3.2-acre industrial area of Marol into an urban forest. According to the Mumbai Climate Action Plan, this area was chosen because it has the least amount of trees in the city, which led to an increase in its LST over the past three decades.

It was observed that the land surface temperature of Marol Industrial Estate increased since the construction of Metro Line 1. The average LST recorded before the construction of Metro Line 1, in 2005 and 2010, was 29.27˚C and 33.4˚C respectively. However, it rose to 38.8˚C after the construction.

As per the reports, the project is expected to cost ₹6.92 crores. Under the proposed project, the forest will have stone pathways, a pond, and over 140 species of trees, including medicinal plants, shrubs, and flowering creeps. The primary aim of this urban forest is to safeguard the ecosystem and reduce the heat-island effect in the area.

What is an Urban Forest?

An urban forest comprises all the trees and plants in a city, including those in yards, protected areas, streets and utility corridors, and watersheds. This includes individual trees, street trees, tree-lined parks, and plants and soil around and under the trees.

With an aim to move towards sustainable development and create a climate-resilient environment, the garden department of the BMC is in search of unused land areas to develop more urban forests in the city.