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Metro fells additional trees in Aarey Colony
the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (MMRCL) began felling additional trees in Aarey Colony’s Prajapurpada village in the early hours of Tuesday to make way for a shunting neck for Metro-3 trains. Policemen and officials from the MMRCL began gathering at the project site around 5:30am. Hindustan Times was the first to report last week — with photographic evidence — that the 177 trees earmarked for cutting (for which the Supreme Court last week granted permission) is a significant undercount
Mumbai: Amid heavy police bandobast, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (MMRCL) began felling additional trees in Aarey Colony’s Prajapurpada village in the early hours of Tuesday to make way for a shunting neck for Metro-3 trains.
Policemen and officials from the MMRCL began gathering at the project site around 5:30am. Hindustan Times was the first to report last week — with photographic evidence — that the 177 trees earmarked for cutting (for which the Supreme Court last week granted permission) is a significant undercount.
“Throughout the morning we could hear the sound of electric saws at work behind the barricades set up by MMRCL. There was police bandobast, not only in Prajapurpada, but also at Picnic Point in Aarey and in the SEEPZ area near Sariput Nagar. My family has cared for and lived off these trees for at least three generations. They have taken away a part of our identity,” said Kishan Bhoye, an Adivasi resident of Prajapurpada, who belongs to the Kokna tribe.
Over multiple visits to the project site (located at CTS No. 11) this month, HT observed more than two dozen wooden trees in the alignment of the MMRCL’s shunting neck for Metro-3 trains, which have not been numbered. These included at least three fig trees, one pipal, one mango tree, a mulberry tree and coconut palm, among others.
HT did not record the numbers of non-wooden trees (such as papaya and banana) that do not fall under the definition of “tree” under the Maharashtra Tree Act, though multiple specimens of these were also felled by the MMRCL on Tuesday, according to Prajapurpada residents.
Amrita Bhattacharjee, one of the petitioners in the ongoing proceedings before the SC, said, “It is a shame that our submissions were not considered by the apex court. I raised a complaint about the undercounting of trees with the forest department and IIT-Bombay as well but got no response despite the urgency of the situation.
“Besides, this project site is a steep hill where JCB machines cannot reach, so there is a lot of apprehension that even the trees slotted for transplantation have been felled all together.”
Sanjay Karhade, media advisor, could not be reached for comment despite efforts.
