BMC Launches Tech-Driven Tree Census and Green Cover Monitoring System
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to launch a citywide digital tree census and green cover monitoring dashboard as part of efforts to modernize urban forestry management and improve environmental data systems across Mumbai.
According to civic officials, the exercise will involve geospatial mapping, GIS-based surveys, and digital documentation of trees across Mumbai’s administrative wards. The proposed census aims to record details including tree species, height, canopy spread, health condition, age profile, and exact geographic coordinates through mobile-enabled field surveys and digital tagging systems.
Officials stated that the initiative will create a centralized digital dashboard capable of tracking plantation activity, tree health, and green cover distribution across the city. The platform is also expected to support monitoring of compensatory plantation requirements linked to infrastructure projects and urban development works undertaken by various civic and government agencies.
The proposed system is being planned alongside BMC’s broader digital urban infrastructure initiatives, including integration of a developing 3D digital model of Mumbai intended to support civic administration, infrastructure planning, and public asset management. According to reports, the civic body has already initiated work to integrate multiple municipal systems into the digital urban mapping framework.
The digital tree census is expected to replace conventional manual documentation processes previously undertaken during tree surveys in Mumbai. Civic officials stated that the use of GIS-enabled technology and digital records would improve accuracy, reduce duplication, and support long-term monitoring of the city’s urban forest assets.
According to officials cited in reports, the civic administration also plans to make portions of the green cover dashboard publicly accessible to improve transparency and enable easier tracking of plantation and tree-management activity across different localities.
The initiative comes amid increasing focus on environmental management and urban sustainability in Mumbai, particularly following large-scale infrastructure expansion projects involving road construction, metro corridors, coastal infrastructure, and redevelopment activity across the metropolitan region. Tree transplantation, compensatory plantation, and protection of existing green cover have remained recurring concerns in several major infrastructure projects undertaken in recent years.
Civic officials stated that the digital platform is intended to support better coordination between the garden department, tree authority, and planning agencies while also enabling data-driven decision-making for future plantation and environmental management programmes.
The broader exercise is expected to cover trees situated on roads, public lands, gardens, open spaces, and other civic properties across Mumbai as part of a phased implementation programme.
