New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) Observing that a balance between environment protection and development is necessary, the Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted the Tree Authority to decide on a plea of the civic body BMC for felling 95 trees in Mumbai’s Film City for the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project.
A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing a plea of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is responsible for the ambitious GMLR project, seeking the apex court’s nod for felling the trees for the first phase.
The GMLR project envisages developing road connectivity from Western Express Highway to Eastern Express Highway to reduce travel time by almost an hour between Mulund and Goregaon.
The BMC says that these 95 trees are required to be cut for operating the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) and launching shaft work for the tunnelling work.
For digging the pit structure, it is required to clear ground space and, in the process, a certain number of trees are required to be felled, the Tree Authority said in the application.
The BMC filed the plea keeping in mind the January 10 order of the top court by which it had directed the Tree Authority of the civic body not to allow any further tree felling in Mumbai’s Aarey colony without its permission.
The civic body said that the area, where tree felling was proposed, falls under the Film City and not under Aarey Colony, and yet they filed the plea in the top court as part of abundant caution.
“No doubt, the protection of the environment is important and it has been held by this court in several judgements keeping in mind the principle of inter-generational equity,” the CJI said.
“However, the development cannot be ignored … The development of infrastructure is also necessary. Unless proper infrastructure is put in place, the country cannot progress,” the CJI said.
The bench asked the BMC to file the report of the experts on the issue alongside the afforestation plan.
The bench made clear that no tree can be felled without its prior nod and fixed the plea of the BMC for hearing on August 12.
The trees to be felled are for the 6.2km twin tunnels, which are part of the 5.3km GMLR between Film City, Goregaon, and Khindipada (Amar Nagar), Mulund.
“The project involves development of a road through a tunnel to preserve the green space on the ground,” the Tree Authority said while seeking permission to cut the trees.
The top court’s earlier order, asking the Tree Authority of the BMC not to allow any further tree felling in Mumbai’s Aarey colony without its permission, was passed in connection with the car shade project of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL).
The apex court had directed the Maharashtra government to inform if there was any proposal to fell more trees in Aarey forest.
The court had in 2023 permitted some forest-dwelling communities to move the Bombay High Court with their grievances over the felling of trees in the forest for the metro rail project. PTI SJK SJK RT RT
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