The Metro-3 project by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) is being rapidly constructed and recently they declared that more than five km of the total 32.5 Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ strip has been completed. However, the development is taking a toll on nature and especially trees have been victim to the 32.5 km project. Earlier, MMRC had submitted a proposal to cut down 3,426 additional trees and on July 3, it had submitted a proposal for cutting down additional 76 trees. As a result, there is growing fury among the environmentalists and petitioners, and this dispute seems to be growing more confusing.
According to the original plan by MMRC in May 2017, 2,801 trees had to be pruned or cut down for the purpose of Metro-3 work. But later, MMRC kept on continuously submitting proposals to cut additional trees. After MMRC’s proposal to cut down another 76 trees for the Mumbai Central Metro station, the figure has reached a shocking total of 6,303 trees!
The first subway of 32.5 km for the Metro-3 project is being constructed in Mumbai and the ambitious project is also crucial for the state government. However, the project seems to be controversial for various reasons but a larger section of people have been specifically upset over the number of trees being cut down for the MMRC project. The matter has reached the Supreme Court from the Bombay High Court.
Also Read: BMC Blames Metro Work For Waterlogging Issues In SoBo
During the hearing of the case regarding the trees at the high-level committee of the High Court, MMRC asked the tree authority for permission to cut additional 76 trees in Mumbai Central, which was objected by environmentalists and petitioners.
Environmentalist Kunal Birwadkar and Zoru Bathena told Mumbai Live they had expressed their displeasure in front of the committee. They added that they couldn’t understand why MMRC was continuously increasing the number of trees to cut down.
According to Bathena, MMRC had been granted High Court's permission in May 2017 to cut 2,801 trees for 32.5 km long project. However, soon they proposed an additional cutting down of 214 trees for 15 stations. Even after that, the metro construction company did not stop and filed proposals for cutting trees at these places:
The environmentalists have definitely been displeased with MMRC's plan and have strongly criticised the cutting down of trees in such huge quantities. While there has been no official comment from MMRC, a contractor who is associated with the metro company has confirmed that MMRC has proposed to cut down additional 76 trees.
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