The Court will hear a petition challenging proposed felling of over 2,600 trees in Aarey area in the north Mumbai from September 30.
Mumbai-The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation shall not fell trees in the Aarey colony area here to make way for a metro Car shed till September 30.
The court is likely to hear a petition Challenging proposed felling of over 2,600 trees in this area in north Mumbai from September 30 said justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Bharati Dangre.
Activist Zonu Bathena has filed a petition challenging the approval granted by the BMC’s tree Authority on August 29 to cut trees for the metro car shed.
Also Read: ‘Save Mumbai’s lungs’: Mumbaikars protest against cutting of 2,700 trees in Aarey
Green Activists are opposed to the felling of trees in Aarey Colony, which, together with Sanjay Gandhi National Park, is known as the green lung of the metropolis.
The BMC has argued that the metro is in the larger public interest. Metro will mean people away from using cars, taxis, and two-wheelers and result in a sharp reduction in pollution the two agencies said.
The delay in the construction of the car shed will cause a loss of Rs 4.23 crore per day.
The petition filed by NGO Vanshakti seeks a direction to the government to declare Aarey a forest area.
If we arrive at the conclusion that Aarey has to be declared as forest then all the other issues do not arise as all the environmental restrictions come in place. We will also go into the issue of whether the decision taken by the tree authority is legal. Chief Justice Nandrajog said. The Judge also stated that the forest does not mean just trees and plants.
The hearing on the Vanshakti petition will continue on Wednesday.
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