New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to apprise it if there was any proposal to fell more trees in Mumbai's Aarey forest. The matter came up before a bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih. The bench directed the parties to complete the pleadings by February second week to enable the Maharashtra government counsel to make a statement on the issue.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said everyone involved had the public interest in mind. At this juncture, the bench said, "Not just public interest, but the interest of the environment. Thousands of trees must have already been cut." The apex court has scheduled the matter for further hearing in January 2025.
In 2023, the apex court had permitted some forest-dwelling tribals to move the Bombay High Court with their grievances related to the felling of trees in Mumbai's Aarey forest for the metro rail project. In April 2023, the apex court came down heavily on Mumbai Metro for trying to "overreach" its earlier order permitting the felling of only 84 trees in the forest for a car shed project and directed it to pay Rs 10 lakh as a penalty.
The court said it was improper on the part of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) to move the tree authority for the felling of any trees in excess of 84. However, the apex court permitted it to remove 177 trees from Aarey forest, saying a stay-on tree felling would bring the public project to a standstill which was not desirable.
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