The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Tree Authority to consider a fresh Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation plea to cut more trees for the Goregaon–Mulund Link Road project, on the condition that compensatory afforestation is carried out “scrupulously.”
In July, the court had permitted the felling of 95 trees in Film City, but later took sharp note of weak implementation of compensatory planting and warned the Maharashtra government it could revoke earlier clearances for the metro and GMLR projects.
A bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai had directed the chief secretary to meet stakeholders and present a “concrete proposal” ensuring afforestation is done in letter and spirit.
On Monday, the bench, also comprising Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria, noted the chief secretary’s affidavit making compensatory afforestation part of a “government resolution.” “We direct that the averments made in the said affidavit be given effect to scrupulously,” the CJI said.
The bench warned that any officer or officers entrusted with the task of undertaking compensatory afforestation will be dealt with sternly if they are found lax or negligent in their duties on this issue.
The bench directed the officers concerned to inspect the sites where compensatory afforestation has to take place inside the Sanjay Gandhi Park in Mumbai.
It also asked the BMC and other authorities to undertake the exercise of compensatory afforestation with regard to other projects, including the metro one, with due earnestness and file a report in the court after 12 weeks.
The bench said the exercise of compensatory afforestation can be undertaken before felling the trees as well.
The bench was hearing a plea of BMC, which is responsible for the ambitious GMLR project, seeking the apex court's nod for felling the trees.
The GMLR project envisages developing road connectivity from Western Express Highway to Eastern Express Highway to reduce travel time between Mulund and Goregaon by almost an hour.
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 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.
It 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.
