The Supreme Court of India has directed the tree authority of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to halt any further tree felling in Mumbai's Aarey colony without its permission. The order comes after the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) informed the court that there were no pending proposals to cut more trees in the area. The court has previously permitted the felling of a limited number of trees for a metro rail project, but has also imposed penalties on the MMRCL for exceeding its permitted limits.
The Delhi government must come before the court and tell "how it will compensate for the damage caused to the environment due to its illegal acts", the bench said.
The Maharashtra legislative assembly on Friday passed a bill empowering local tree authorities to allow the felling of all types of trees without referring matters to the State Tree Authority.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd to pursue its plea with the relevant authority for felling 84 trees at Mumbai's Aarey Colony for constructing train ramps at its car shed project, saying it cannot be "oblivious of serious dislocation" which may be caused in projects involving "large public funds".
Observing that the Mumbai Metro has made an attempt to overreach the court's jurisdiction, the Supreme Court on Monday directed it to pay Rs 10 lakh fine within two weeks for felling of trees in Aarey forest beyond permission.
The Bombay high court on Monday directed the Mumbai civic body to clarify how it has issued a public notice seeking to cut 177 trees at the Aarey Colony area for a Metro car shed project when the Supreme Court in 2022 permitted felling of only 84 trees.
On September 20, the Maharashtra government had told the court that Aarey cannot be declared a forest just because of its greenery.
MMRC Managing Director Ashwini Bhide, in a series of tweets, said the activists should accept their defeat in the court "honorably".
Activist Zoru Bathena has filed a petition challenging the civic tree authority's approval on August 29 for felling trees for the car shed.
The activists argued that an appeal would be filed in the apex court on Monday but by then the MMRCL would have completed cutting all the trees in the colony.
The court asked NBCC to "stay its hands" till July 2 .
The MMRCL informed that only clearing of already felled trees will continue at the site.
Extreme sports performer Erik Roner died in a skydiving accident near Lake Tahoe, California, on Monday after he struck a tree, authorities said.
Chopping of trees started on Friday night, hours after the Bombay High Court dismissed petitions challenging Tree Authority's decision to axe trees in Aarey to make way for the rake depot.
Braving the downpour, Mumbaikars came together on Sunday to protest against the cutting of over 2,700 trees in Aarey milk Colony for the upcoming metro shed project.
Mumbai, whose presiding deity is wealth, could soon Hindu trees all over the city, if Hanumant Raje, the Shiv Sena-nominated member of the city's Tree Authority who has proposed that only trees like peepal and banyan, which are "revered in Hindu culture", be planted across the metropolis.
Prakash Javadekar said the forest cover in the national capital has increased since then and public transport system has also improved.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd started hacking trees from Friday night to make way for a car shed, hours after the Bombay high court dismissed four petitions filed by NGOs and activists challenging the decision to allow felling of trees in the prime green lung of the city.
'If prices of everyday consumption don't come down, employment doesn't pick up, 2020 will not be a happy year for anyone but the super rich,' notes Sherna Gandhy.
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