• Mumbai: Green activists and residents protest against felling of trees in Aarey Colony
The Supreme Court will today hear a matter related to felling of trees at the site for the Metro Car Shed project in Mumbai's Aarey Colony. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) had told the apex court on August 5 this year that no trees have been cut in Aarey Colony since October 2019.
On August 24, the top court had directed the MMRCL to strictly abide by its promise that no trees would be felled there and warned that any violation would result in strict action.
The matter was mentioned on October 18 before a bench of Chief Justice U U Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi. The counsel referring to the matter told the bench that earlier the apex court had indicated that the matter would be heard at the end.
The lawyer said that work is on for the Metro car shed, and as a result, the court may be dealt with luck. The counsel told the bench that the matter is likely to be listed on November 2. "Then, November 2," the bench said.
"As prayed for, the matter should not be dropped from the notified date," the top court said in its order.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for MMRCL, had told the apex court in August that he had given a statement before the apex court in October 2019 that no further felling of trees would be done for the project and no trees have been felled after that. .
The top court was then hearing an application alleging that the authorities had resumed felling of trees in the colony, which is the green lung of the congested metropolis.
The top court had taken suo motu cognizance of a letter petition addressed to the Chief Justice of India in 2019 by law student Rishabh Ranjan seeking a stay on felling of trees in the colony.
The top court had restrained the authorities from cutting any more trees after the Solicitor General on behalf of the state of Maharashtra submitted that no further trees would be felled.
The cutting of trees in the colony has been opposed by green activists and residents.
In their first cabinet meeting, held hours after coming to power, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis sought to reverse the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government's decision to shift the proposed car shed project from Aarey Colony. I had taken the first step.
Incidentally, Thackeray had announced a moratorium on the construction of the proposed project soon after becoming chief minister in November 2019 and later ordered to shift it to Kanjurmarg.
In October 2019, the Bombay High Court refused to declare Aarey Colony a forest and quashed the Mumbai Municipal Corporation's decision to allow felling of over 2,600 trees in the green zone to set up a metro car shed.
In October 2019, MMRCL started felling trees after the Bombay High Court dismissed a bunch of petitions filed by NGOs and activists against tree cutting. Pledging to save the trees, many protesters gathered at the site to raise their voice against the felling of trees. Later, more people joined the protesters near the Aarey Colony area, where the Mumbai Police imposed Section 144, banning unlawful gatherings.
The protesters were demanding relocation of the bus depot, which is a part of Metro III project.
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