Metro body of Mumbai informed the apex court that No Tree Cutting In Aarey, Only Trimming

Aarey Forest: The Supreme Court was hearing an application that alleged that authorities have resumed lowering trees within the Aarey colony.

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) on Friday told the Supreme Court that no trees are cut in Mumbai's Aarey colony after October 2019.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for MMRCL, told a bench headed by Justice U U Lalit that he had made a press release before the Supreme court in 2019 that no further cutting of trees are going to be finished a metro car shed in Aarey colony and then, no trees are cut there. 

"There may be a statement which I had made that there'll not be any more cutting of trees and that i have filed an affidavit today that thereafter, there has never been any cutting of trees," Mehta told the bench, also comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and S R Bhat.

The top court was hearing an application that alleged that authorities have resumed scaling down trees within the Aarey colony.

Mehta said some bushes were there on the bottom which are cleared and a few branches were trimmed in order that vehicles could die an approach road there.

"That trimming materialized. that's what i've got said on the affidavit. No tree cutting goes on," he said.

While taking the affidavit on record, the bench said pending further consideration, no specific interim directions are entailed seeable of the stand taken within the affidavit filed on behalf of the corporation.

"Suffice it to mention that as stated by the concerned respondent, no further trees are cut since the order dated October 7, 2019, and shall not be cut in any manner till the subsequent date of hearing," the bench said while posting the matter for hearing on August 10.

The Supreme court in 2019 had taken suo motu cognisance of a letter petition addressed to the then magistrate of India by a pupil seeking a remain the felling of trees within the Aarey colony.

The top court had restrained the authorities from cutting any further trees within the Aarey colony after the law officer had submitted on behalf of the state of Maharashtra that no further trees are cut.

The felling of trees within the colony has been opposed by green activists and residents.