MMRC to cut trees it ‘planted’ at Aarey Colon

These trees were planted by them in Aarey in February 2015 and now they are cutting it. They have zero interest in saving trees,” said Zoru Bhathena, an activist who had earlier approached the court to save the trees.

These trees were planted by them in Aarey in February 2015 and now they are cutting it. They have zero interest in saving trees,” said Zoru Bhathena, an activist who had earlier approached the court to save the trees.

Notices to cut down trees were found stuck on trees at the plantation site of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) in Aarey Colony on Saturday. Activists claim these trees were planted by the MMRC in 2015.

“These trees were planted by them in Aarey in February 2015 and now they are cutting it. They have zero interest in saving trees,” said Zoru Bhathena, an activist who had earlier approached the court to save the trees.

According to the Tree Authority’s November 1 public notice, 137 trees will be cut at this site, opposite the site allotted for the car depot for shifting pylons and for a road diversion.

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“MMRC was only to use the land as a plantation site and it was not handed to them, nor was this land within their work zone,” added Bhathena. The notice also said an additional 307 trees would be cut for the proposed ramp at Sariput Nagar in Aarey Colony. The Tree Authority had received over 200 objections to cutting of these trees.

So far, MMRC has cut 813 trees for the underground Metro 3. As per the Tree Authority mandate, they have to plant three trees for every tree cut. “They should then have planted 2,439 new trees by now. However, during our survey with the High Court committee, we only saw a few hundred. When the matter was raised in court, they admitted they were yet to plant them as they had not found space yet. Should they not have found the space first and then gone about cutting trees,” asked the activist.

“MMRC, being a responsible government organisation, conducts its activities in conformity with the approval of the tree authority of MCGM within its framework and permission. The land where MMRC earlier transplanted the trees is a separate plot which is absolutely different from where some trees are affected due to the construction work. Notices have been pasted on trees that are from pylon shifting areas and ramp and these areas are different from that of our plantation area ,” said the MMRC spokesperson.

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