Even as a large number of people protested outside the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL) office on Friday against felling of 2,646 trees at Aarey colony for Metro III car shed, the Tree Authority gave its permission to the MMRCL to go ahead with the removal.

Mumbai has been seeing large scale protests since the Tree Authority of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) decided on August 29 to allow cutting of 2,185 trees and transplantation of 461 trees. Activists and the Shiv Sena have already moved court against the decision.

As per the law, the BMC has to wait for 15 days before it gives approval to the proposer, in this case MMRCL. The 15-day period ended on Thursday, and without sparing a day, the BMC issued a permission on Friday.

According to the Maharashtra Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975, the MMRCL cannot cut or transplant these trees for another 15 days. After that, the MMRCL will have to plant 13,110 trees as compensation.