The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to plant 115 more saplings on a plot in Uttarshiv village in Thane before cutting 23 trees for the proposed freeway from Airoli to Katai Naka.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice N.J. Jamadar was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Thane resident Rohit Joshi through advocate Ankit Kulkarni.
The PIL challenged the permissions granted by the Thane Tree Authority (TTA) during a meeting on May 22 last year. It was proposed in the meeting that the MMRDA could cut 23 trees to construct the freeway and transplant 69 trees.
On September 30 last year, another Bench stayed the proposal and MMRDA filed an application to vacate the stay order. On June 12 this year, the court allowed MMRDA to transplant 69 trees and directed the TTA to supervise the process. On June 19, Mr. Kulkarni in a plea said there were discrepancies in MMRDA’s proposal and the site for compensatory plantation was not yet identified. The court then directed TTA to identify a site to plant 115 saplings within a week.
On June 25, TTA and MMRDA officials conducted a site visit in the presence of Mr. Joshi and identified Survey No. 38, Uttarshiv village, Botheghar, Kalyan-Shilphata Road. On June 26, the TTA filed a report informing the court that it was satisfied with the site and MMRDA would be going ahead with transplanting trees and planting saplings.
On Friday, MMRDA informed the court that it has already carried out compensatory plantation, but the Bench said it would have to plant another 115 saplings on the site before being granted permission to axe 23 trees.