Mumbai Metro 3 will have to wait for more time before cutting 1,000 trees

The Supreme Court has stayed the felling of trees for the underground Metro III (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ) line till the matter is next heard. Till then, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) cannot cut a single tree.

The extension of the stay has delayed the project as MMRC wanted to complete some clearing work before the onset of the monsoon.

A senior MMRC official said, “We wanted to go ahead with the clearing work from Monday. We don’t have an option now but to wait till the matter is taken up by the apex court.”

The construction of the 33.5-km Metro corridor connecting Colaba with SEEPZ will affect around 1,000 trees.

On May 5, Bombay High Court had vacated the stay and given the petitioners 10 days to appeal in the apex court. The high court order stated, “it cannot be overlooked that a project as important as this cannot be undertaken without some damage to the environment in terms of felling of trees but at the same time it is not the case that these trees would not be replaced in the same area by the MRMC as undertaken by them.”

The MMRC has submitted an undertaking of replanting trees to the HC. “Around 1,074 trees will be cut and thrice the number will be replanted. Around 1,727 trees will be transplanted,” the official added. The MMRC has acquired 30 hectares at different pockets of Aarey in the western suburbs to transplant trees.

The petition filed by the citizen activists will be heard by a vacation bench of the SC on May 18. Zoru Bhathena, who filed the appeal said, “We are appealing so that the SC can check if there is a need to harm so many trees for this project.”