Mumbai: After the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) started axing trees at Aarey, beginning Friday night, “Save Aarey” activists claimed that the authorities were violating court orders and rules such as uploading the permission document on their website and not razing trees at night, along with violating the model code of conduct.
Petitioner and environmental activist Stalin Dayanand said, “As per the HC order on April 23, 2018, the decision to cut trees can be implemented only 15 days after the permission document is uploaded on the website. We can move the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal challenging the HC order, but even before the case is heard before the apex courtand NGT, the MMRC has started chopping trees at night.”
On their part, both the Brihanmumbai Muni-cipal Corporation (BMC) and MMRC claimed that the trees were being cut after following all the rules and there was no violation of court orders either.
The BMC claimed that the Tree Authority gave permission to raze trees on September 13 and thus, the 15-day period was over.
Deputy superintendent (gardens) R. Gavit said, “Uploading of the permission document is required only for proposals sanctioned by the municipal commissioner (MC) and not the Tree Authority. The authority sanctions proposals after public hearings. The permission given by the MC is for less than 25 trees and all such permissions are immediately uploaded on the website for public knowledge.”
“The petitioner can move the SC but till then, there is no stay. Also, the MMRC was allowed last time to cut and transplant trees at night to avoid traffic and public inconvenience,” he added.
Refuting charges of a possible violation of the model code of conduct, Mr Gavit said that the Tree Authority had officially given the permission to cut the trees on September 13.
The Model Code of Conduct came into effect on September21.
MMRC managing director Ashwini Bhide posted a series of tweets terming the allegations as the new false propaganda on the part of the activists.
“A new false propaganda is in the air that 15 days’ notice period is required. The Tree Authority order was issued on September 13 and 15 days are over as on September 28. The action by the MMRC was awaited till the high court verdict was out,” she tweeted.
