HC refuses to stop tree felling for Metro 3

The Bombay High Court on Friday did not restrain the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), from cutting trees to construct stations for the Metro 3 project, between Colaba and Seepz. A vacation bench of Justice Prakash Naik and Justice MS Karnik primarily accepted the argument put forth by MMRCL and also BMC that it was obeying the previous order of the high court, and cutting only those trees for which permissions are obtained.

The court while hearing a plea filed by a Churchgate resident who claimed that authorities were arbitrary cutting trees and even those which were not supposed to are being felled. MMRCL counsel advocate Mustafa Doctor denied the allegations and said the petitioners' apprehensions were misconceived. Trees along the Metro-3 site had been marked differently by the BMC to identify those that are to be felled, or transplanted.

BMC counsel advocate Anil Sakhre submitted a plan detailing the marks or the numbers given to such trees. Sakhre submitted earlier this week. BMC officials as well as officials from the HC and the Maharashtra Legal Services Authority had inspected all sites in south Mumbai, where trees were being cut to ensure compliance with the norms.

The corporation also informed the court on its own that a junior officer from the local ward officer will remain present every time trees are felled for the project.

After hearing both the parties, the bench said there is no scope for a stay based on the current pleas. However, it posted the mater for final hearing on June 6.

Previously while lifting the stay on the cutting of trees, the high court had said, "The approach we intend to adopt is to bring about a balance in the protection of environment and the development in question so that a situation of prosperity on both counts can be achieved. If a harsh stand as canvassed by petitioner is accepted, then it would be impossible to have any development for the betterment of citizens residing in metropolitan city."

The court has appointed Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority and Deputy Registrar to oversee the compliance of re-plantation; transplantation of trees. Compliance reports have to be submitted monthly to a committee of two judges. Over 5,000 trees are proposed to be cut in various areas of south Mumbai to pave way for the execution of Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ line III project.