SC allows felling of trees for road project near Aarey

Protection of environment is important, but development activities cannot be ignored, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday ast allowed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) tree authority to fell 95 trees for a road construction project in Mumbai's Film City located near the Aarey forest belt.

- Abraham Thomas

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai-led bench, however, warned that “no trees shall be actually felled without permission of this court”.

The bench, also comprising justice K Vinod Chandran, was hearing a BMC plea that sought nod to fell 95 trees for the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project in the Film City, located close to the Aarey forest belt. The BMC filed the plea keeping in mind the SC’s January 10 order that prohibited it from felling any more trees in Aarey colony.