Supreme Court To Hear Tree Authority's Plea Seeking To Fell 124 Trees In Aarey Village

The Supreme Court today has issued notice in an application moved by the Tree Authority seeking to fell 124 trees and replant 333 another trees from the Aarey village region for an film institute project.

A CJI Surya Kant led bench has listed the matter after two weeks while seeking responses of the Maharashtra government and all the intervenors before the court.

As the court today heard a plea concerning the felling of trees in Aarey Village, particularly in Film City where an institute for Graphic Designing is to be constructed, the CJI Surya Kant led bench was told that the Aarey Village is a large area and does not only consist of the Aarey forest.

The bench also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana was further told that the Tree Authority had given its NOC and needed court's permission to go ahead with the project as per the Supreme Court's previous order.

Expressing concern over hearing the matter, CJI Kant said, "We have entrusted the Bombay High Court...why are you coming here..why should'nt we transfer the entire matter to the high court..".

The bench was informed that the matter pertaining to the Aarey forest is still pending has not been decided yet and hence these applications keep coming up before the Supreme Court.

In January this year, the Supreme Court had directed the tree authority of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation not to allow any further tree felling in Mumbai’s Aarey colony without its permission.

The bench has been hearing a matter in which, suo-moto cognizance had been taken by the court on a letter written by a law student, Rishav Ranjan, 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 letter written by the law student had stated, "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". The court had accepted the letter as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and set up the special Bench.

The Supreme Court in 2019, had directed the State of Maharashtra not to cut any further trees in Aarey and to maintain the status quo. The 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.

In April 2023, the Supreme Court had imposed a cost of INR 10 lacs on Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited's (MMRCL) for removing an excess of 84 trees, in contravention of an earlier order of the top court. However, the Court had allowed the authority to also remove 177 more so that the public project does not come to a standstill.

Case Title: IN RE FELLING OF TREES IN AAREY FOREST

Bench: CJI Kant, Justice Bagchi and Justice Mohana

Hearing Date: September 16, 2026