The Supreme Court on Monday, the Maharashtra government to stop cutting trees in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony, intervening in a spiralling war between conservationists and the state authorities that led to several arrests. However, no clarity on the number of trees that have already been felled over a two-day cutting spree on Friday and Saturday to make way for Mumbai’s Metro rail expansion.
The court order came in response to public interest litigation filed by a group of law students. Next hearing will be on 21^st October, the forest bench of the apex court. The law students had written to Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Sunday, urging him to direct the state government to stop cutting trees. The Supreme Court registered the letter as a PIL and took suo motu cognizance of the matter. With the court closed for Dussehra, a special vacation bench was constituted to hear the plea.
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