Mumbai, Feb. 24 -- The proposed felling of 184 trees, including a baobab, for the Coastal Road North Package-A has sparked concern among residents and environmentalists. The trees fall along the stretch of the elevated road from the Versova interchange to Bangur Nagar. Local residents were alarmed when they found their neighbourhood baobab with a tree-cutting notice pasted on it. This baobab is located on the road divider along Lokhandwala Back Road. Instead of getting the tree axed, Sanjiv Valsan from Waghoba Habitat Foundation has offered to help transplant the tree. "Why can't the BMC simply transplant it? Baobab's can be easily transplanted." While environmentalists have been against cutting trees for the Versova stretch of the coastal road project, the axing of a baobab is particularly significant due to the nature of the tree. The deciduous tree, native to Africa, Madagascar and Australia, is rare with several of its species endangered due deforestation. Valsan said that if the BMC lacks the technical expertise to transplant a baobab, his NGO is willing to conduct an assessment, provide a cost estimate, and execute the transplantation. "This tree is part of Mumbai's cultural heritage as it was brought here by the Portuguese from Madagascar," he said. Chronicler Zico Fernandes, who runs the Instagram page Baobabs of Bombay, said that while the 2017 tree census recorded around 120 baobabs in the city, his own documentation found about 66 trees. Of these, at least four have been cut in recent years. "One was lost in April 2024 for the metro road works at Santacruz (W). Another one was lost in Marve Road in March 2024 probably for the road widening. The saddest for me personally was the loss of Baobab at Seepz in August 2025, which I suspect was poisoned because such trees generally don't disintegrate like that," said Fernandes. There is some hope for the citizens with the city's Tree Committee set for revival soon. The committee will have 13 elected corporators with the municipal commissioner as chairperson along with nominated experts. An official announcement is expected on February 26. When contacted, a BMC garden department official asked to check with the local K (West) ward office but didn't comment on why the BMC cannot transplant the tree....