Student delegation to meet CJI Gogoi over tree felling in Mumbai's Aarey

A student delegation will meet Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Monday seeking his intervention in the felling of trees in Aarey area of Mumbai for the construction of a car shed.

According to the delegation, there is no time for filing an appeal petition and go through legal technicalities since Mumbai authorities are already cutting the trees in the area.

"It doesn't matter if the government plants 24 million plants across the state. Every place has a logical significance. Aarey forest is called the lungs of Mumbai. You cannot simply cut out the lungs and implant it somewhere else in the body. It wouldn't work," one of the student protestors, Rishav Ranjan told ANI on Sunday.

He said that Mumbai Metro wants to build a car shed in the area but they could have also built it in the several other venues available for the construction in the city.

"We were expecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter. But the government did not do anything. That is why we are approaching the doors of CJI," he said.

The Supreme Court has taken cognisance of the trees felling matter in Mumbai's Aarey Colony and said that a special bench will sit on Monday to hear the petition submitted by a group of law students protesting the action by the authorities.

At least 29 protesters were arrested from Aarey after they protested against the authorities cutting down treed in Aarey area following the orders of Mumbai High Court.

The protestors were later granted bail by a local court.

The protesters opposed the cutting of trees for the construction of the car shed of the metro station. They have demanded the relocation of the bus depot, which is a part of the Metro III project.