In a city grappling with plummeting air quality and rising heat, over 7,500 trees are set to face the axe to make way for civic infrastructure projects as well as private redevelopment works.

The permissions to fell 7,633 trees have been granted over five months by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Tree Authority, which was constituted back to power in April after a hiatus of nearly four years. Of the total permissions granted, the Tree Authority, which safeguards Mumbai ’s green cover by regulating permissions for tree felling and plantation in Mumbai, has granted approvals to permanently cut 3,502 trees while 4,131 trees have been earmarked for felling and transplantation.

Data accessed by The Indian Express shows that the permissions for tree felling were cleared as a part of at least 43 different proposals, which were approved in a span of eight meetings of the Tree Authority convened between May 8 and October 5.

The removal of trees was sought for infrastructure projects of government…