Bombay HC reserves order on cutting trees for Metro-III project

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has reserved the order on a PIL, which was filed against the state government’s Metro-III project. The PIL alleged that Metro rail corporation will cut 5000 trees for the project. In the month of February, the high court had restrained all the authorities to from cutting any tree for the Metro project.

While hearing the matter, chief justice Manjula Chellur and justice Girish Kulkarni said that people should not suffer due to the current transport system and primarily metro should run in the city.

The court has asked both the parties, “When the question of human life and life of trees arises, what you will do?” The high court then said that life of trees can be restored but life of human being cannot be restored.

Lawyer of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) Aspi Chinoy told the court that “If stay on the project is not vacated then state will have to bear huge loss. Monsoon is about to arrive and trenches will be filled up by waters and barricades will also create inconvenience”.

The lawyer added, “Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) is ready to abide by the promise it has given to the court that for every cutting of trees, two will be planted in the same vicinity”.

The court said if it vacates the stay, it will set up a committee to monitor whether the MMRCL was complying with its undertaking.