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Synopsis

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider listing the plea challenging the construction of a metro car shed at the Aarey forest area in Mumbai. The matter pertains to the issue of felling of a large number of trees for the purpose of constructing a metro car shed.

The plea was mentioned by Senior Advocate Shyam Divan stating that a large number of trees are being cut every day. A bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Hima Kohli stated that they'll consider listing the plea.

CJI Ramana mentioned that the matter has been allotted to a bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud, to which, Divan said that the matter was supposed to be listed on July 29 but the same was not listed.

In October 2019, a law student, Rishav Ranjan, wrote to the then Chief Justice of India, seeking a stay on the cutting of trees for the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited's car shed located on 33 hectares land in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony.

"The site is on the bank of the Mithi River, with several channels and tributaries flowing into it, and construction for the 'polluting industry' could flood Mumbai", Ranjan argued. The court accepted the letter as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and set up the special Bench.

The Supreme Court in 2019, directed the State of Maharashtra not to cut any further trees in Aarey and to maintain the status quo. Court had however clarified that there it had not stayed the construction of the metro car shed project, and the status quo pertained only to the further felling of trees

Case Title: IN RE FELLING OF TREES IN AAREY FOREST (MAHARASHTRA)