BMC likely to allow axing of 2,238 Aarey trees soon

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is soon likely to grant permission to cut down 2,238 trees at Aarey Milk Colony, whi-ch are coming in the way of the Metro 3 depot.

As the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the application to consider an alternate site for the Metro 3 depot, the court stay on work will soon be lifted. Meanwhile, the formation of the BMC’s Tree Authority is in final stage, which will allow the BMC to take up the pending proposals.

A total 2,700 trees at Aarey will be affected by the metro depot, of which 2,238 will be cut and the rest will be transplanted. The proposal for this was submitted by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) which is constructing the Metro 3.

However, the activists had approached the cou-rt against mass destruction of trees and also stated in the petition th-at the civic tree authority lacked experts. But the BMC after much de-lay finalised its experts.

“The new tree authority can start operating after an application in court. The main hurdle to sanction the Metro 3 proposal was the court case, which is almost clear now. Soon, the authority will take up the pending proposals,” an officer from the BMC garden department said.

The BMC will later publish a public notice before granting permission to cut the trees.