SC asks Maharashtra government not to cut more trees in Aarey for metro project
New Delhi: Hearing the petitions against the felling down of trees to make way for a metro project in Mumbai Aarey colony, the Supreme Court asked the Maharashtra government not to carry on with axing anymore.
The top court said this after the state government admitted that the required number of trees for the project have already been axed.
The next hearing on the case will take place on Oct 21.
Lawyer of the petitioners, Sanjay Hedge, said, "We thank the Supreme Court for its intervention. Don't think anything more will develop on the matter till 21st of the month."
Last week, activists started gathering at Aarey colony after a video showing a tree being cut went viral, alleging that act illegal.
After the video went viral, Shiv Sena scion Aditya Thackeray, whose party is an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), spoke in favour of the activists and supported their resistance to "illegal" felling of trees by MCGM calling the act shameful.
Environmentalists have been protesting the decision to build metro rail depot at the Aarey Colony which has more than five lakh trees.
The Bombay High Court dismissed the petition against felling of trees saying it cannot intervene in the matter as the case is pending before the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal.
The Aarey protests have attracted massive attention in Mumbai with celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar coming out in favour of the government.
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