The Maharashtra government has proposed amendments to the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act of 1975, to introduce provisions for the protection of ‘heritage trees’.
- Under the proposed amendment, a tree with an estimated age of 50 years or more shall be defined as a heritage tree. It may belong to specific species, which will be notified from time to time.
- A heritage tree will get special protection. Crucially, the tree’s age will determine the number of trees to be planted as part of the compensatory plantation – that is anyone cutting a heritage tree will need to plant trees in the same numbers as the cut tree’s age.
Deciding tree’s age
- The most common method of determining the age of the tree is Dendrochronology – or tree-ring dating also called growth rings.
- By counting the rings of a tree, the age can be determined.
(Source: Indian Express)
