MMRCL to file affidavit on tree cutting at Aarey

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Wednesday directed the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) to file an affidavit and inform the court if it was cutting any trees at the suburban Aarey Colony other then for which it has permission.

The petitioners had sought interim relief of staying the pending hearing of the petition of tree cutting but the bench refused to grant any interim stay.

Advocate Kiran Bagaria, representing MMRCL, told the court that only those trees are being cut for which permissions have already been sought however, the division bench of acting chief Justice N.H. Patil and Justice G.S. Kulkarni asked him to say this in an affidavit.

The court was hearing petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Preeti Sharma Menon and Ruben Mascarenhas against the alleged action of MMRCL of indiscriminate felling of trees inside the Aarey Colony to pave way for a metro car shed.

Mr Bagaria told the court that the MMRCL would not cut any tree without taking prior permission from the concerned authorities.

But the bench has directed the MMRCL to file an affidavit in two weeks stating the same and also submit a schedule of work it plans to undertake in Aarey colony for construction of the Metro car shed.

According to petitioner, “It was sent that more than 100 huge trees were cut and many more were being surveyed.”