MMRCL celebrates after SC refuses to stay felling of trees

In a shocking case, soon after the Supreme Court refused to stay the cutting of trees for the Metro 3 project, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) officials celebrated the decision by distributing sweets in their offices.

The Supreme Court order on May 19 came after Bombay High Court on May 3 vacated their stay on cutting down of trees.

The apex court turned down their appeal for extending stay on cutting down of trees for the Metro 3 project and directed petitioner Nina Verma to approach the committee of Bombay High Court.

The Chief Justice of High Court will appoint two judges who will oversee the compliance with regard to transplantation and replantation of the trees in terms of the undertaking given by MMRC. MMRC had submitted an undertaking given on May 9.

According to sources in MMRCL, hours after the Supreme Court’s order, the MMRCL office welcomed the decision distributing sweets. A senior MMRCL official said, “We are very happy with the apex court’s decision. Since the time the Aarey controversy broke out our project seemed like it was jinxed. We were finding it difficult to proceed with our work as we were not allowed to fell the trees. We have to finish clearing of sites before monsoon, else the entire schedule will get delayed.”

The authorities were waiting for the stay to be removed to finish clearing the sites by chopping down trees.

The MMRC had claimed that this underground line would lead to felling of 1,074 trees and transplantation of 1,727 more. The activists had pointed out that over 5,000 trees would be affected as the MMRC was not sure about the number of trees to be affected at Aarey Colony.