Thane Integral Ring Metro: PIL In Bombay HC Challenges Tree-Felling Permissions, Seeks Constitution Of Tree Authority

Mumbai, October 19, 2026: A public interest litigation has been filed in the Bombay High Court challenging permissions granted for felling trees for the Thane Integral Ring Metro project, alleging that the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) allowed tree-cutting applications to be considered without constituting a Tree Authority as required under law.

The petition, filed by Rohit Joshi, seeks the constitution of a Tree Authority for Thane and the quashing of a resolution passed on June 17, 2026, granting permission to fell trees affected by the metro alignment near Rayladevi Lake and Balkum.

PIL Challenges Tree-Felling Permissions

The plea challenges a permission granted on August 24, 2026, for cutting trees for the project. It states that the metro corporation had sought permission to fell 520 trees and transplant 2,693 others affected by the alignment.

According to the petition, the absence of a duly constituted Tree Authority has allowed applications for tree felling to be considered and permissions granted without the prescribed statutory mechanism.

The petitioner contends that Section 7 of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975, lays down the duties and functions of the Tree Authority, including examining matters relating to the protection and preservation of trees.

Petition Traces Approval Process

The petition traces the process initiated by the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation for the project. An application seeking permission to fell trees was submitted on July 29, 2025. The municipal corporation subsequently sought additional documents, and a meeting was held between departments in October 2025 to discuss the project and the proposed tree cutting.

A public notice was issued on February 28, 2026, inviting objections within seven days. The petition refers to an objection raised by a citizen on March 1, 2026, after the notice appeared in a newspaper.

The plea further states that, on July 13, 2026, the municipal corporation directed the metro corporation to deposit Rs 18.59 crore towards compensation for the preservation of affected trees. The metro corporation later sought permission for cutting and transplanting trees on a priority basis.

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RTI Reveals Permissions Affecting Thousands Of Trees

The petitioner alleges that information obtained under the Right to Information Act revealed that, in the absence of the Tree Authority, permissions had been granted for work affecting more than 4,600 trees across Thane.

The PIL will come up for hearing in due course.

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