Mumbai: Tree cutting in Aarey colony ignites protests
Mumbai : Hours after Mumbai High Court rejected petitions against tree cutting in Aarey colony area to construct Metro car shed, the authorities started chopping off trees in the area, igniting protest from the civilians and the activists.
The activists are claiming that the trees are being cut illegally.
Rules say once the Tree Committee approves cutting, the order should be uploaded on a government website. Trees can be cut 15 days after posting the document on the website, sources say.
Soon after the video of the incident was posted online, the Congress leader Jignesh Mevani tweeted an appeal to the Mumbaikers to stop the illegal action.
"Urgent request to Mumbaikars: Authorities have already started cutting trees in Aarey after the order passed by the BHC today. Citizens are reaching Aarey forest to stop this. I request Mumbaikars to reach and resist this move right now," he tweeted.
Urgent request to Mumbaikars:
— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) October 4, 2019
Authorities have already started cutting trees in Aarey after the order passed by the BHC today. Citizens are reaching Aaarey forest to stop this. I request Mumbaikars to reach and resist this move right now. #SaveAareyForest #SaveAarey pic.twitter.com/Ng5Yfv61gu
Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray slammed the centre over tree cutting.
There’s no point for the Central government ministry of climate change to exist, or to speak about plastic pollution when the @MumbaiMetro3 senselessly destroys the Aarey vicinity. This ego battle taken up by Metro 3 is destroying the purpose of making it.
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) October 4, 2019
It has been over two years, since when the environmentalists are fighting against the proposed idea of tree cutting for the formation of car shed for Mumbai Metro. The area has over five lakh trees.
"The greens (environmentalists) fail in the instant petition because they have lost touch with the procedure to be followed as per law. The clock cannot be put back. We do not make any comments thereon as the petitioner has to now swim or sink before the Supreme Court... The issue is pending before the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal. Hence, we are dismissing the petition on the principle of commonality and not on merits," a bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Bharati Dangre said on Friday.
