Picture : ANI/X
Irked over poor implementation of compensatory afforestation in Mumbai, the Supreme Court has warned the Maharashtra government that it will revoke all earlier permissions for felling trees for projects like Mumbai metro rail and Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR).
According to reports by news agency PTI, The top court directed the Maharashtra chief secretary to hold a meeting with all the stakeholders and come out with a “concrete proposal as to what steps are being taken” to ensure that “compensatory afforestation” is carried out in letter and spirit.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran asked the state’s top officer to file an affidavit before it on or before November 11.
The bench was furious when it was apprised that compensatory afforestation has not been given due attention.
A balance has to be struck between “development of the country” and the conservation of ecology in cities like Mumbai, it observed. “We will revoke all the permissions granted so far for the projects like Mumbai metro rail,” the CJI cautioned.
This led the counsel for the state government and its authorities to seek an opportunity to file a better affidavit by November 11.
The bench was hearing a fresh plea of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation seeking a nod to fell trees for the GMLR project subject to compensatory afforestation.
On August 14, the top court permitted the civic body’s tree authority to allow felling of 95 trees for the project.
