Mumbai, Dt. 24
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) on Monday took action to cut down 177 trees in Aare Colony for work on the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro 3 line. At five o’clock in the morning, the trees were cut down in Aarey under strict police security.
Environmentalists and residents of Are are against the cutting of trees in Are. But MMRC seems to be fulfilling its objective of cutting trees by taking permission from the court. In 2019, MMRC had taken action to cut the trees at night after court permission.
MMRC had sought permission from the Supreme Court in this regard saying that 84 trees in Aarey need to be cut to move metro trains from Sariput Nagar to Aarey carshed. The court allowed this. But instead of 84, MMRC submitted a proposal to the Municipal Tree Authority to cut 177 trees.
Objecting to this, the Save Aarey activists and the affected families of Aarey (the Bhoye family whose 75 trees are to be cut) approached the Supreme Court against this. The court expressed displeasure at MMRC’s proposal to cut 177 trees while it was allowed to cut 84 trees and fined MMRC 10 lakhs. But at the same time permission was given to cut 177 trees. According to this permission, the trees have been cut early this morning.
Meanwhile, the petitioners expressed their displeasure by alleging that more than 177 trees were cut by MMRC.