Tree Authority refers back proposal to axe 2,238 Aarey trees

Mumbai: City environmentalists heaved a sigh of relief after the Tree Authority (TA) Wednesday referred back to the BMC administration the proposal to axe 2,702 trees at Aarey for construction of the metro 3 car shed. The BMC administration will resubmit the proposal after reworking the number of trees that can be saved.

The decision to refer back the proposal to the BMC administration was taken at the TA meeting held Wednesday at civic headquarters in Mumbai. Sources said that the Shiv Sena suggested referring back the proposal to the BMC administration, and the Congress supported the move.

Sena leader Yashwant Jadhav said, “We have always stood for saving the trees at Aarey. We want the administration to give satisfactory answers to 82,000 objections raised by the citizens.” Congress’ Milind Deora said, “Mumbai’s environment comes first and we refuse to cut trees at Aarey.”

Two thousand, seven hundred and two trees have been proposed to be razed for construction of the car shed for the metro 3 project undertaken by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC). Of the 2,702 trees, 2,238 will be cut and 464 transplanted. After the proposal was submitted to the TA last month, 82,000 registered and 4 lakh online objections were filed to save the green cover at Aarey.

Dr Deepak Aapte, expert member of the TA, said, “Our objective is to save maximum number of trees. We have asked the administration to work out how many trees can be saved along the periphery and inside the proposed premises. As soon as the administration answers our queries and re-tables the proposal, we will take further call for action.”

Activist Zoru Bathena said, “It is a victory for all citizens who fought to save Aarey. The BMC/MMRC will submit a fresh proposal now, till which time, there is relief.”

The metro 3 is an ambitious project of the BJP and the TA, which has the maximum members from Shiv Sena, last week stalled permission to axe trees at Aarey for the metro 3 car shed.