Don’t cut Aarey Colony trees yet, HC tells MMRDA

The Bombay HC on Wednesday directed the MMRDA to maintain status quo, in the matter of cutting down 2,298 trees in Aarey Colony for the third phase of the metro railway project (Metro 3).

The Bombay high court (HC) on Wednesday directed t he Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to maintain status quo, in the matter of cutting down 2,298 trees in Aarey Colony for the third phase of the metro railway project (Metro 3).

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The division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice BP Colabawalla passed the interim order on a PIL filed by journalist Arun George, which had sought a direction to the MMRDA asking it not to allow the removal or transplantation of 2,298 trees from Aarey Colony for Metro 3.

The PIL had also sought a direction to the MMRDA and the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) to carry out a detailed environment impact assessment (EIA) of Metro 3, before undertaking any development activity.

The PIL said the third phase of the project involves a fully underground metro line between Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ (Andheri), covering a total distance of 32.5km, with 27 stations along the line. The line is designed to connect major points of the commercial business districts of Nariman point and Bandra-Kurla Complex with the domestic and international airports and the industrial areas of MIDC and SEEPZ in Andheri.

The PIL further said the MMRDA has proposed another depot – with a car shed for Metro 3 trains within Aarey Colony, and wants to cut 2,298 trees for the development of the depot.