The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked Mumbai Metro to not carry out any work on Aarey forest until next hearing. A three-judge bench headed by Justice U U Lalit said he would hear the matter on August 30 after counsel for the Maharashtra government sought time to collate documents.
“The counsel for MMRCL submits that her clients have already filed an affidavit that no trees have been or would be cut in any manner. The said undertaking by the MMRCL director has already been taken on record and MMRCL shall be strictly bound by the same,” the bench, also comprising Justices S R Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia, said.
The Supreme Court was hearing the petition challenging cutting of trees in Mumbai’s Aarey colony for the metro car shed. The top court also granted last opportunity to Maharashtra government to allocate documents.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) earlier this month told the Supreme Court no trees have been felled in the Aarey forest region to make way for a metro shed and only “weeds and bushes” have been cleared.
“Only weeds and bushes on the ground were cleared. There is an approach road. There were branches that required trimming for vehicles to pass through. No trees were cut. They have shown photographs of some other areas,” said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the MMRCL, maintained before the bench led by Justice UU Lalit.
During the hearing of the matter on Wednesday, the counsel for petitioner said levelling and other work is still going on there even after filing an affidavit. To this, Rahul Chitnis, appearing for Maharashtra government, said that more time is needed to collate additional documents.
The Supreme Court in 2019 had taken suo motu cognisance of a letter petition addressed to the then Chief Justice of India by a law student seeking a stay on the felling of trees in the Aarey colony. The top court had restrained the authorities from cutting any more trees in the Aarey colony after the solicitor general had submitted on behalf of the state of Maharashtra that no further trees will be cut. The felling of trees in the colony has been opposed by green activists and residents.
The Bombay High Court in October 2019 refused to declare Aarey Colony a forest and declined to quash the Mumbai municipal corporation’s decision to allow the cutting of over 2,600 trees in the green zone to set up a metro car shed.
