Mumbai: The Bombay High Court Metro 3 Committee on Thursday questioned the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited’s (MMRCL) bonafides in restoring the tree cover that was destroyed for construction of metro stations for its Line 3 (Colaba-Metro-Seepz).
The committee headed by a bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sarang Kotwal, has warned that if the MMRCL fails to show bonafides by June, it will send the matter back to the court to initiate contempt against the corporation for failing to abide by its undertaking.
The committee was formed following a plea by Nina Verma and Parvin Jehangir, along with activist Zoru Bhathena, highlighting the damage that would be caused by axing of over 5,000 trees for the project. This committee was to look into the tree cover removed by MMRCL for the line. In case of any anomalies, the matter was to be referred back to the court.
On May 7 2017, the high court had directed the MMRCL to give an undertaking that it will replant the trees and care for them till the completion of the project.
During the hearing, the committee noted that the MMRCL has neither restored the green cover nor geo tagged the trees transplanted or relocated. Noting that it was very disturbed by the MMRCL’s approach, the committee said that they were only killing time.
20 Days' Time Given To Show Bonafides
Following MMRCL’s request, the committee has given it a last chance to show its bonafides by completing the tree cover at Eros cinema traffic island, along with landscaping, within 20 days.
It has asked MMRCL to dig and keep ready 75% of tree beds on the pavement above every underground station by June 9. Large sized trees are to be planted in these tree beds. They have also been asked to float tenders for geo tagging of trees. It has emphasised that the corporation should not make an excuse of the Election Code of Conduct for floating the tender.
