Surat : Chowpaty Garden’s Green Heart Under Attack, Residents Slam SMC Over Tree Cutting and Commercialisation

Surat | Gujarat — What was once one of Athwalines’ most cherished green lungs is rapidly turning into a concrete landscape, triggering outrage among residents who have accused the Surat Municipal Corporation’s (SMC) Garden Department of carrying out insensitive and unscientific tree cutting at Chowpaty Garden.

Citizens claim that extensive pruning and chopping of mature trees has drastically reduced the park’s canopy cover, leaving the area exposed to harsh summer heat while destroying natural habitats for birds and other urban wildlife.

The controversy intensified after several residents reported finding fallen nests and injured bird chicks beneath recently cut trees. According to locals, the timing and manner of the tree-cutting exercise ignored basic environmental considerations and caused irreversible damage to nesting sites during a sensitive breeding period.

“This is not tree maintenance; it is environmental destruction,” said a regular visitor to the garden. “Birds that had nested here for years have suddenly lost their homes. We found chicks on the ground after branches were cut. It is heartbreaking.”

Residents are also questioning the Garden Department’s decision to replace large stretches of lawn with paver blocks, arguing that the move has reduced green cover and increased heat retention in the area.

“We used to come here for greenery and fresh air. Today, more concrete is visible than grass,” said another resident. “The very purpose of a public garden is being defeated.”

Adding to the criticism is the allegation that portions of the park are being transformed into a food street and commercial activity zone at the cost of environmental preservation.

Environmental-conscious citizens argue that public parks should be protected as ecological assets rather than being redesigned primarily for commercial purposes.

“The Garden Department seems more interested in creating commercial spaces than conserving nature,” a resident remarked. “A garden should remain a garden, not become a marketplace.”

The controversy has renewed concerns about Surat’s shrinking urban green spaces and raised questions about whether environmental impact assessments were conducted before undertaking major alterations at the popular Athwalines landmark. Residents are now demanding accountability from the SMC and an immediate review of the garden’s redevelopment plans before more green cover is lost.