The Tree Authority has granted permissions for the felling and transplantation of trees across Thane to accommodate major infrastructure projects, with over 800 trees affected by ring metro construction, road widening and municipal works. The municipal corporation's new administrative building will require the removal of three mature trees, an 85-year-old banyan, a 50-year-old peepal and a 55-year-old banyan, and the authority has permitted their felling. To ensure compensatory plantation and maintenance the authority has prescribed substantial security deposits from project agencies. For the ring metro project a deposit of Rs 185.9 million (mn) has been stipulated to cover the care and maintenance of 37,184 trees. Security deposits for other schemes have been described as running into several tens of millions of rupees and are intended to fund transplantation, planting and long term upkeep. The authority has set conditions for phased transplanting and felling to align with construction schedules. Road widening and strengthening work in the Ovala-Majiwada area will affect 291 trees, with approval to transplant 124 and to fell 167. Nine heritage trees are among those identified and decisions on their fate remain pending. Construction of main metro station entrances at Teen Hath Naka, RTO, Municipal Corporation Road, Cadbury Junction and Majiwada will impact 24 trees in total, with permission granted to fell two and to transplant 21. The authority has also authorised pruning of an 80-year-old heritage peepal as part of mitigation measures. The approvals have renewed concern over how the municipal corporation will balance urban development with preservation of mature and heritage trees given its custodial role. Officials have required compensatory measures and financial guarantees but activists and residents have urged clearer timelines and monitoring for survival of transplanted specimens. The situation highlights tensions between infrastructure delivery and ecological conservation and will require continued oversight to safeguard the city's urban canopy.