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Mumbai, October 5
The Bombay High Court on Saturday refused to grant stay on cutting of trees in Mumbai's prominent green lung, Aarey Colony to make way for a metro car shed.
A few green activists moved a fresh application on Saturday seeking stay on the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL's) action of chopping 2656 trees in the area, a day after the HC dismissed four petitions filed by NGOs and activists challenging the decision of Tree Authority of the Mumbai civic body allowing felling of trees.
The action of MMRCL, which began cutting trees late Friday night, has met up with stiff resistance from green activists who have been protesting at the Aarey Colony.
The activists, in their application, sought stay on the MMRCL action for a week so that they could approach the Supreme Court against the high court's order.
The application was taken up for urgent hearing by Justices S C Dharmadhikari and A K Menon.
After brief arguments, the bench refused to grant the stay and disposed of their application.
Twenty-nine protesters were arrested as demonstrations against Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for cutting down Aarey’s trees, a policeman said.
Those arrested are among the 60 people earlier detained by police.
"We have arrested 29 protesters. Six of them are women. Some of them had manhandled and beaten the police personnel deployed in Aarey Colony and obstructed them from discharging their duty," the police official said.
The MMRCL had started hacking trees from Friday to make way for a car shed, hours after the Bombay High Court dismissed four petitions filed by NGOs and activists challenging the decision to allow felling of trees in the prime green lung of the city.
However, hundreds of environmental activists gathered in Aarey Colony and protested. They tried to stop the authorities from chopping down the trees.
‘Shame’
Shiv Sena’s Aaditya Thackeray criticised both the felling and the arrest of protesters.
"It would be a shame if we do that. I call out and request the Chief Minister to look into this and ask the police to not put any cases for people with love for the environment. We would be hypocritical then at the United Nations if we do this," he tweet.
"The use of a large number of police personnel, hacking of trees in the dead of the night, even after winning in the court (then why not in broad daylight) and detention of peaceful protesters and citizens. Who is authorising this? during the code of conduct? all these powers handed to MMRC (Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation)?" he asked.
Earlier in the day, Aaditya said the officials of the Mumbai Metro 3 should be posted in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to destroy terror camps, rather than the trees in the city.
"Wonder why Mumbai Metro is treating Mumbaikars like criminals and not listening to their sensible demand of sustainable development," Thackeray tweeted.
Union ministry of environment could not justify speak about plastic pollution when Mumbai Metro 3 is senselessly destroying Aarey, Mumbai's green lung, he added.
"This ego battle taken up by Metro 3 is destroying the purpose of making it," the 29-year-old leader, who is making his electoral debut from Worli Assembly constituency in Mumbai in October 21 Maharashtra elections, said.
"The vigour with which the Mumbai Metro 3 is slyly and swiftly cutting down an ecosystem in Aarey is shameful and disgusting. How about posting these officials in POK giving them charge to destroy terror camps rather than trees," Thackeray added.
"A project that should be executed with pride...Mumbai Metro 3 had to do it in the cover of the night, with shame, slyness and heavy cop cover. The project supposed to get Mumbai clean air, is hackinga forest with a leopard, rusty spotted cat and more," he said in another tweet. PTI
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