Metro tree-cutting: Mumbai has more trees than NY, London,

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation chief Praveen Pardeshi on Monday defended the civic body's decision to fell over 2600 trees to build a metro car shed in suburban Aarey Colony, a prominent green lung, stressing that Mumbai had more trees than London, Tokyo or New York.

Speaking at a town hall at the SNDT University here, Pardeshi also brushed aside suggestions by activists to shift the proposed car shed to suburban Kanjurmarg, arguing that the cost of acquiring and developing this plot was very high.

He went on to say that "collective pressure" of a section of people was holding back metro plans.

Among those who attended the town hall were Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) Managing Director Ashwini Bhide, environmental activists like Stalin D of NGO Vanashakti.

"Mumbai has the least space to develop at present. All of Mumbai lives in 29.99 per cent area. Whatever is happening in metro today is your collective pressure," Pardeshi claimed.

While activists have routinely contended that infrastructure development by cutting trees and gobbling up open spaces was leading to floods in the city, Pardeshi retorted, "Is the car depot (at Aarey) up already? If not, then why floods are there?"
Defending the plan to cut trees for the car shed, the BMC chief said, "Mumbai has a higher number of trees compared to other cities, be it London, Tokyo or New York."