SC gives nod to fell 95 trees in Mumbai’s Film City for Goregaon-Mulund Link Road project

New Delhi, Aug 14 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Thursday gave its nod to fell 95 trees in Mumbai’s Film City for the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project subject to compensatory afforestation.
     A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing a plea of the BMC, which is responsible for the ambitious GMLR project, seeking the apex court’s permission to fell the trees for the first phase of development.
     Senior advocate Dhruv Mehta informed the bench that the tree authority had granted its nod, subject to the approval of the bench.
     The CJI, in the meantime, asked the forest conservator of Mumbai to file a comprehensive report within six weeks giving details of the compensatory afforestation undertaken in the city so far.
     The civic body assured the bench to follow rules on compensatory afforestation including those related to geo-tagging of saplings to be planted in lieu of the felled trees.
     On July 29, the top court underlined the necessity to maintain a balance between environmental protection and development and permitted the Tree Authority to decide on BMC's plea for felling 95 trees for the project.
     The GMLR project aims at developing road connectivity from Western Express Highway to Eastern Express Highway to reduce travel time by almost an hour between Mulund and Goregaon.
     According to the BMC, the 95 trees had to be felled for operating the Tunnel Boring Machines and launching shaft work for the tunnelling work.
     The BMC filed the plea keeping in mind the top court's January 10 order which 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 the area, where tree felling was proposed, fell under 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.
     The CJI, however, noted development couldn't be ignored.
     "The development of infrastructure is also necessary. Unless proper infrastructure is put in place, the country cannot progress,” he added.
     The bench asked the BMC to file the report of the experts on the issue alongside the afforestation plan and made clear no tree could be felled without its prior nod.
     The trees to be felled are for the 6.2 kilometer twin tunnels, which are part of the GMLR between Film City, Goregaon, and Khindipada (Amar Nagar), Mulund.
     The top court’s previous order asking the Tree Authority of the BMC not to allow any further tree felling in Aarey Colony without its permission was passed in connection with the car shed project of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)