Aarey not forest, Javadekar defends felling of trees

Amid strong opposition from green activists, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday cited a Bombay High Court order to defend the Mumbai Metro Corporation's move to fell trees in Aarey Colony, saying it was "not a forest".

"Basically the high court has decided and ruled yesterday that it is not a forest," Javadekar told reporters here. "You can't fell anything that is forest."
"But for each tree cut, five saplings were planted. All have become trees in 15 years," he said. "Delhi's jungle cover has increased and public transport for 30 lakh people was arranged. This is the mantra of 'vikas bhi, paryavaran ki suraksha bhi' (sustainable development)."
Javadekar said the RBI has cut the repo rate by 25 basis points for the fifth straight time and it will result in lowering "the EMIs, bank loans will become cheaper and industry and trade will benefit."
Attacking the Congress, he claimed, "A lot of loans were given to capitalists who fled to foreign countries. But they were now being caught and put into prisons in those countries."