HC clears way for Metro-3: Lifts ban on tree felling

On Friday, the Bombay High Court delivered a blow to the environmentalists by lifting the ban on tree slaughter for Metro-3 project. All eyes were on the high court decision and the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation heaved a sigh of relief with the HC judgment terming the project as the necessity for Mumbaikars. The HC green signal came after the MMRC and the BMC assured the court that the trees will be replanted. The court also provided a time period of 10 days to the petitioner to file an appeal in the Supreme Court.

As many as 5000 trees would be slaughtered to clear the way for the Metro-3 project. Opposing this, Neena Verma of the Save Trees had filed a petition in the High Court in February 2017. The HC had banned the slaughter of trees and had directed the MMRC not to cut a single tree till hearing gets completed on this petition. Still, the MMRC had continued its work as trees were not being cut, the work at many places was getting affected.

The MMRC was continuously asking the court to lift the ban. After the final hearing, the court lifted the ban on Friday but also provided a time limit to the petitioner to approach the Apex Court to file the appeal against this order. It means that the MMRC would not touch these trees for next 10 days.

Meanwhile, Zoru Bathena, a petitioner, said that they got disappointed with this order but they will appeal in the Supreme Court and something good will happen in the next 10 days.