MUMBAI: The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has felled 2,141 of the total 2,185 trees in Aarey Milk Colony in Maharashtra's capital Mumbai where it has decided to build the car shed for the Metro III corridor on the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz corridor.

MMRCL has made it clear that it will stop the tree felling work but will continue with other operations, including clearing of felled trees.

An MMRC spokesperson said in a statement, "We respect the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court passed today. No future tree felling activity at the car shed site in Aarey Milk Colony will be undertaken. Other works, including clearing of already felled trees, will continue at the site."

Elaborating on the development, the MMRCL spokesperson stated, "Following the decision of the Hon’ble High Court on 4/10/19 upholding the permission of the Tree Authority, the felling of 2,185 trees was undertaken on October 4 and 5, 2019 and as on date 2,141 trees have been felled. These will be cleared from the site and subsequent construction activities will be carried out."

The spokesperson further stated that "As of today, MMRCL has already planted 23,846 trees and additionally distributed 25,000 saplings as part of its green initiatives. The work on the project has already been delayed by over six months on account of the legal and other impediments. We still expect to meet the deadline."

On Sunday, the apex court received a letter by the students' group against the axing of trees in the Aarey forest and decided to pursue it as public interest litigation (PIL) and constituted a "special bench" to hear the matter.

