India, July 19 -- A tree-trimming contractor, Arfad Varekar, and three members of the Rutu Enclave Cooperative Housing Society have been booked for allegedly excessively pruning trees in the society's premises on Ghodbunder Road, after which 45 herons died and 27 were rescued.

The incident occurred on Thursday when the housing society, after acquiring permissions from the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), started trimming 10 trees in the society compound. The local activists and NGOs alerted the authorities after spotting dead and injured birds in the society's premises and claimed that excessive pruning was carried out during peak nesting season, leading to the destruction of birds' nests on the trees.

Forest officials have confirmed ...