No felling of trees without Tree Authority's nod: MMRDA to HC

Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority will not fell any tree for widening a road and constructing a car shed for proposed Metro Rail Project in Aarey Milk Colony in suburban Goregaon without securing the nod of Tree Authority, it told the Bombay High Court today.
The HC was hearing a PIL filed by 'Vanshakti', a prominent NGO, its director Dayanand Stalin and Kshitji Ashtekar, one of the residents of the area, among others.
A bench headed by the Chief Justice Mohit Shah asked MMRDA to submit within two weeks the constitution of the Tree Authority and inquired whether there was any representation of NGOs in it.

The matter has been posted for hearing on December 17.
Earlier, the bench had temporarily restrained MMRDA and Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) from felling trees in this area.
The PIL had alleged that respondents have begun widening the road which falls within an eco-sensitive area and is in close vicinity of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

The work involves felling of trees in large numbers, which is in direct contravention to provisions of Maharashtra (urban areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act as well as Environment Protection Act, said the PIL.
The PIL urged the HC to quash and set aside MMRDA's proposal for widening the Aarey Colony Road and MCGM's move to construct a car shed for the proposed project.

It also requested the court to restrain the authorities from felling of trees for road widening and constructing car shed for the project, besides appointing a Tree Authority as contemplated under 'Tree Act' consisting of environmental experts to monitor the environment and submit periodical compliance reports.
The petition also pleaded that trees located in the area must be protected and preserved to ensure that ecological balance is not disturbed.