'Aarey not a forest,' says Bombay HC, refuses to stop tree-cutting

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed all petitions against the felling of over 2,700 trees for a Mumbai metro depot. The court also refused to declare Aarey Colony as a forest area.

Activists had been opposing the proposed felling of 2,700 trees in Aarey to make way for the metro car shed and demanding relocation of the depot, which is part of the Metro III project.

The petition was filed by environmental activist Zoru Bathena, challenging a decision taken by the Mumbai's civic body's tree authority on August 29 to allow the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) to cut 2,646 trees in Aarey, a green belt in suburban Goregaon.

The Aarey colony, measuring 1,287 hectares and located adjoining the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, is known as a major green lung of the metropolis. Several Bollywood personalities and politicians had also extended their support to the activists protesting against the feeling of trees in Aarey.