466 more trees will fall in Aarey as SC gives a go ahead to Metro project

• Mumbai Metro on Monday got an approval to construct a metro car shed in Mumbai’s Aarey colony after it stalled authorities from chopping trees.
  
• The Bombay High Court had already gave an approval for the project.
  
• The Mumbai metro which cuts through the area, claims that this clearing is necessary for construction.
  

The Supreme Court on Monday gave its nod for Mumbai Metro to build a metro car shed in Mumbai’s Aarey colony. It had previously stalled authorities from chopping trees to make a clearing.

However, that stay did not help. Bombay High Court had given an approval for the project. And by the time SC’s stay came in after the weekend, the authorities had already chopped 2,134 of the targeted 2,600 trees.

Now, the authorities have the authority to carry on the rest of the chopping.

On October 4, BHC allowed it by refusing to consider Aarey Colony a forest area. It has been one of the most controversial judgments as hundreds of people took the social media by storm over the issue.

Mumbai’s Aarey Colony is a green belt in suburban Goregaon which has more than five lakh trees. The island city of Mumbai is popular for its high rises. But, the city also has green belts in and around busy area, providing the much needed relief to the concrete developments.

The Mumbai metro which cuts through the area, claims that this clearing is necessary for construction. After city-wide protests, the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government promised that five trees will be planted for every tree cut for this project.

The project’s activities triggered a protest inside Aarey Colony which also spread to Twitter. The activists intensified their protests after the Bombay High Court dismissed petitions against Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL) to save the green zone.

A special Supreme Court bench comprising justices Arun Mishra and Ashok Bhushan said it will have to examine the entire issue and posted the matter for hearing on October 21, before its forest bench.