Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

1. (a) “ preservation of trees ” includes planting of new trees and other operations for survival and propagation of the trees ;
2. (b) “ relevant Act ” means the Act under which the urban local authority concerned is constituted ;
3. (c) “ to fell a tree ” includes burning or cutting or or in any way damaging a tree ;
4. (d) “ tree ” means any perennial woody plant, whether in the seeding or sapling stage or fully grown stage, and includes shrubs whose branches spring from the ground level ;
5. (e) “ Tree Officer ” means an officer appointed as such by the Tree Authority for the purpose of this Act ;
6. (f) “ urban area ” means a municipal corporation area for which a municipal corporation is constituted under the Bombay Municipal Corporation Act, the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949 or the City of Nagpur Corporation Act, 1948, or a municipal area for which a Municipal Council is constituted under the Maharashtra Municipalities Act, 1965, and includes a notified area for which a Special Planning Authority is constituted or appointed under section 40 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966 or an area designated as the site for a new town for which a Development Authority is constituted under section 113 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966 ;
7. (g) “ urban local authority ”, in respect of any urban area, means the municipal corporation, municipal council, Special Planning Authority or Development Authority, as the case may be, having jurisdiction over that area ;
8. (h) words and expressions used in this Act, but not defined herein, shall have the meanings assigned to them in the relevant Act. (1a) “heritage tree” means a tree categorised as such by the Tree Authority, in accordance with the norms as may be notified by the Government;